Road to success plays a key role in attracting drivers of the future – Transporting New Zealand
Rising costs, like wages, fuel, cost of living, and interest rates, are making life harder for everyone, and the pressure of running a successful and profitable business has become even tougher.
We all know that recruiting and training costs money – but what is the true cost of not investing in this area of your business? When the current group of legends behind the wheel of your Class 5 vehicles hang up their keys for the last time, what happens next? If you haven’t started thinking about this yet, there are bumpy times and parked fleet ahead.
Truck driving is a career steeped in traditional thinking and sheer hard graft. Long hours, time away from family, little recognition, and the need for a thick skin have been part of a driver’s lot over the last 50-plus years. In-cab technology and engines may have changed, but the thinking around the job drivers do, their work environment, and their expectations, has not kept up. The future workforce will be less willing to adapt to this traditional way of thinking when it comes to choosing their career.
Economist Cameron Bagrie has told us that not only has thinking changed but power has shifted, likely for a generation, into the hands of employees. They now have far more choices than ever before about how and where they work. Is road transport going to meet the market and offer something worthwhile?
Whether you agree with it or not, those in the 20 to 35-year age group who are looking for their first job or a change of career, are expecting a whole lot more. They will be making their job application decisions based on what they are looking for out of an employer, rather than what you as an employer are looking for from them. Training, development, progression, diversity and workplace culture are at the top of their list. A work-life balance that enables them to raise a family as well as earn a living is right up there, too. So, how do you make sure your next vacancy ads catch the attention and beat the competition for these jobseekers?
If you are one of the many operators who have new drivers coming through your business, you will want them being trained by the best in your team. We would like those new drivers to be recognised as Road to success graduates, because we believe this programme offers significant advantages that can help your business and contribute positively to the future of the road transport industry.
Training a professional truck driver takes more than just getting them though their licences. Offering industry-recognised qualifications, along with on-the-job training, shows that you value the skills and ability that it takes behind the wheel and are investing in your people. By having your drivers become Road to success graduates, your job vacancy ad stands out and will appeal to a wider range of jobseekers.
Widening your search for talent beyond those with a Class 5 licence and two years’ experience also makes sense. However, being successful means moving away from the traditional ways of recruiting and embracing new ways of reaching and attracting the quality people you need to keep your wheels rolling.
By including Road to success in your recruitment and training programme, you become an operator who provides a career, not just a job. You are developing drivers so they can reach a high industry standard that will keep the whole industry growing and thriving into the future. Being an employer who invests in your people as well as your machines, will help you retain great staff and attract new people. That’s a win-win for you and industry as a whole.
By Fiona McDonagh, Transporting New Zealand membership manager