Building Relationships with Candidates

Whenever I think about building relationships with candidates, I always think back on one candidate in particular, Rodney; Rodney was a driver that had been with the same organization for almost 30 years. He was no longer happy with that company but was scared to take a leap since that was all he knew. I spent over a year getting to know Rodney, his family, and his situation before I was finally able to help him transition to my company. We had regular touchpoints at the same time each week where I called to check on him and answer any questions, he or his wife had for me. He always anticipated my calls. Even though it took a year to recruit Rodney, he never would have transitioned to my company, or any other company for that matter, if I didn’t spend the time each week fostering the relationship. Just because you are not converting the candidate immediately doesn’t mean that it is a lost cause. A no isn’t always a hard no, it is just a not right now. If you can foster relationships with multiple candidates, you will begin to see the residual effect over time.

Here are five ways, as a recruiter, you can also build a relationship with candidates that will help increase your conversion rates for high volume recruiting efforts:

 1.    Create rapport with the candidate (and remember it).

One of the first questions I always asked a driver when I was recruiting was “Tell me about yourself and why you are looking to make a change”.  By asking this specific question, you can begin to understand the motivation and the “why” behind a candidate’s reason for job hunting.  Several recruiters I have worked with jump into just “data dumping” the candidate.  What I mean by “data dumping” is the recruiter assumes the candidate’s motivation and proceeds to “dump” all the information about the position.  Getting to know the candidate’s real motivation is just the beginning of creating a strong relationship with the candidate.  Always be authentic and remember to document what the candidate tells you so you can reference it again in the future.  Perhaps the driver is looking for a position with better home time because they have children in sports and don’t want to miss a game.  Make note of that for future conversations where you can ask how their children are doing in that sport.  Not only will this make you stand out as a recruiter, but it may also help with referrals as well. By giving a candidate a good experience, they are more likely to refer people they know to you as well.  

1.    Find a meaningful connection.

As you are building a relationship with the candidate, they will also begin to tell you about themselves.  Make sure you are actively listening and documenting it as well.  Based on what the candidate is telling you, find a way to genuinely connect with them.  For example, I am a mother of three boys.  If a driver said they are looking to change positions due to their children, I would use that to create the connection between us.  Make sure that whatever you decide to connect on is authentic.   

2.    Set up regular communication cadences and stick to it.

Nothing builds better rapport and trust than by saying you are going to do something and following through with it.  Set up regular times to speak with the candidate, follow up with it in writing, and make sure you stick to it.  Also, make sure you uncover which communication style is a preference for the candidate.  According to the CDL Truck Driver Lifestyle and Job Happiness Survey, communication preferences are as follows:

·     64% via phone

·     59% via email

·     33% text message

·     29% via face to face

·     1% via mail

As you can see, not every candidate wants you to call, text, or email them.  Find out their preference so you can show you are listening and understanding them.  If you need to move a time or day for the communication, make sure you are also communicating that to them.    

3.    Be empathetic and understanding.

According to the 2023 Fall Truck Driver Survey through Conversion and PDA, the following reasons are why drivers are currently not looking for a trucking position:

·     I’m happy where I’m driving, 60.1%

·     I need more experience, 15.6%

·     I am afraid to move in this economy, 13.9%

·     I’ve retired from trucking, 5.9%

·     I’m an Owner Operator, 3.6%

Examining this list, besides retiring from trucking, there are other legitimate reasons why someone might postpone searching for a new position. If you are proactive, empathetic, and understanding with the candidate, you can utilize the time to build a relationship until they are ready to make a change.  Changing jobs can be overwhelming and have a huge impact on a candidate and their family.  According to the 2023 Fall Truck Driver Survey through Conversion and PDA, 66.7% of those surveyed are currently not looking for a position right now.  When you are following up with the candidate, don’t be pushy and try to sell them on the position.  Rather, you should let them you know will be there for them when ready to make the change.  According to the same survey, the top 5 concerns right now for drivers include the following:

·     Paying my bills each month

·     Home time and family life

·     My personal health

·     Saving for retirement

·     My safety on the job

It is safe to say that, based on this survey, drivers are under quite a bit of stress.  Be understanding of this and don’t get frustrated when a candidate says, “not now”. 

4.    Follow up with them after hire.

You invest quite a bit of time building a relationship with the candidate so don’t just “break up” with them because you successfully recruited the candidate.  Use it as a learning opportunity for yourself as well.  Regularly check in on the employee to see if your communication closely matches the expectations and reality of the job.  Not only that, but it is a great retention tool as well.  Since you built trust with the employee, it is likely they will tell you more about their overall satisfaction with the position and operations.

Thank you so much for reading my blog.  Please reach out with any suggestions for future posts or feedback on previous posts. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter titled “All Roads Lead to Recruiting” to see all future postings.  

To learn more on how to attract, qualify, and onboard more driver candidates, with EBE’s recruiting solutions, please call 309-350-2066, send an email to jordank@ebe-inc.com, or visit www.ebeships.com.