In talking to operators in this industry, one thing is brought up again and again -- a great route driver is often hard to come by. At this very instant, it’s possible to peruse Indeed.com and find any number of companies seeking a “route driver.” In fact, I found about 18 new positions when I last looked.
Could crafting the right "help wanted" ad make all the difference? Some operators believe it can. Here are few tips to help you revisit your ad description and perhaps make some updates.
First steps
“It’s all about putting people in the right place,” said Jodi Glimpse, co-owner of Camelback Vending located in Phoenix, AZ. Glimpse says she has had outstanding route driver retention and it all starts with getting the right people in the door for the job. Operators should start by looking at the key words they are currently using in their description. A route driver needs to be dependable, reliable, hard working and independent. They also need to be tough in order to deal with inclement weather and heavy loads. The worst thing to do is sugar-coat the route driver position in an advertisement, so make sure you’re being honest with the type of work they will be doing because if reality doesn’t meet expectations, disappointment sets in, says Glimpse, and then people quit. “I make the job posting look nasty, so to speak, because I want a potential driver to read that he or she will have to lift heavy loads, wake up early, work long hours, and still think, 'I can do that,'” she continued. "If you promote it right, your route driver will come off of the route and say, "You made it sound worse than it is.""
The essentials
The job description and essential route driver duties should be placed near the top of the advertisement, as well as the requirements such as finger print clearance, a clean driving record and ability to lift heavy materials and have a proficiency in mathematics. This information will quickly weed out all those not eligible for the job. All route driver advertisements should have the approximate start and end time of the position, as well as the days of the week the driver is expected to work. This can be near the end of the advertisement, along with wage information such as whether or not a route driver is salaried.
Post it online
Forgo the newspaper classifieds for online. Glimpse uses Craigslist.com and CareerBuilder.com to place ads for route drivers. Other operations use Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com. Most towns and cities have their own local Website for jobs, so that would be a good place to start, too. “Honestly, we are technology-focused, so I need someone who can intuitively use technology, including the Internet,” said Glimpse. “Classifieds just don’t cut it.”
