Annual HireRight Transportation Industry Survey Finds 76 Percent of Organizations Plan to Grow Workforce in 2018

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Finding and retaining employees remain top concerns for trucking companies

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- HireRight, a leading provider of global employment background checks, drug testing, education verification, and electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify solutions, today announced findings from its 2018 Annual Employment Screening Benchmark survey. HireRight’s 2018 Transportation Spotlight report presents survey results about driver recruitment and retention strategies, as well as employment screening challenges in the transportation industry, as reported by over 1,000 transportation industry professionals.

The survey revealed that over three quarters (76%) of respondents expect to grow their workforce this year, with the following challenges getting there cited:

  • Recruiting qualified candidates remains the top challenge, according to 69% of respondents.
  • Fifty-four percent of respondents note retention as an issue, as drivers are leaving their employers:
    • To make more money (52%)
    • To spend more time at home (41%)
    • For better benefits (27%)
    • Because the job was not what they expected (26%)

The survey also revealed planned strategies to overcome these challenges:

  • Respondents plan to invest in developing retention programs (40%) as well as training and development programs (40%) in 2018. Specifically, among companies with more than 2,500 employees, 61% of respondents plan to invest in retention programs, and 58% plan to invest in training and development.
  • Other planned investments across all respondents include:
    • Implementing recruiting at more trade events (55%)
    • Improving candidate experience from application through onboarding (43%)
  • In an effort to retain new talent, 38% of respondents said they are introducing new hires to company executives, 32% are implementing longer orientation and training periods, and 28% are appointing driver liaisons or mentors.

“This year’s survey results demonstrate that the transportation industry is embracing innovative strategies to recruit new talent and is truly listening to what candidates want from application to onboarding, including benefits,” said Kent Ferguson, director of transportation solutions at HireRight. “While facing a talent shortage, the industry has again said they are looking to increase their workforce. When aiming to find new, qualified talent at a fast pace, they must keep in mind the organizational risk that hiring can introduce. Implementing a thorough, transparent, and candidate-friendly background screening process is key in striking the right balance.”

With retirement accounting for a quarter of drivers leaving their positions, transportation companies are changing up their hiring strategies to attract a more diverse and younger audience:

  • While 73% of respondents said referrals continue to be the most effective way to find candidates, 54% of respondents said they are using social networking to find talent. This is a significant jump from only 42% in 2017.
  • The use of print media in recruiting has consistently dropped for the past four years (57% in 2015, 48% in 2016, 42% in 2017 and 38% in 2018).
  • The use of traditional recruitment tactics has declined, with corporate websites down 15% from last year and outreach through job fairs down 8% from last year.
  • Nearly a third (31%) are using mobile-friendly applications as part of the screening process, and 37% are instituting flexible work arrangements.

Other common strategies for attracting candidates and retaining employees include:

  • Increasing follow-up communication (54%)
  • Employing non-monetary tactics such as driver appreciation events (53%)
  • Increasing pay (42%)
  • Using performance-based bonuses (40%)

To learn more about key transportation industry trends and best practices in background screening and drug testing, please visit: https://www.hireright.com/resources/view/2018-transportation-spotlight-report

Survey Methodology

The HireRight 2018 Annual Employment Screening Benchmarking Report is based on a survey of 5,886 U.S.-based professionals who indicated they were knowledgeable about employment screening and recruiting. Of the total survey respondents, 18% indicated that their primary industry was transportation. The results in this report were compiled from those respondents.

About HireRight

HireRight delivers global background checks, employment verifications, drug and health screening, and electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify solutions that help employers automate, manage, and control background screening. More than 9,500 transportation companies trust HireRight because the company delivers customer-focused solutions that provide greater efficiency and faster results. HireRight also provides pre-integrated background screening services through many leading applicant tracking systems. For more information, visit the company’s web site at www.hireright.com/transportation.

Infinite Global
Kelsey Eidbo, 415-732-7804
kelseye@infiniteglobal.com

Source: HireRight

Released March 29, 2018