Hiring the best people should always be the goal for companies. But sometimes other priorities seem to get in the way, even with the best of intentions.
Therefore, it’s useful to consider how best to go about securing better delivery drivers to be part of your team. There’s plenty of competing firms trying to scoop up available drivers right now, so the best drivers get the pick of their assignments.
What will attract them to work for your business? Here are four tips for hiring better delivery drivers.
Table of Contents
1. Provide a Range of Driving Roles
Whilst some older drivers may prefer staid work routines that remain the same on a weekly rotation, younger drivers often opt for greater variety.
A company like Shift which offers office removals, home relocation, motorbike delivery, shopping, and delivery services, and a host of others can provide variety to their delivery drivers who prefer it. Fed up acting as a veritable “man with a van”, then perform Shift Shopping for busy people who don’t have time to shop for themselves.
The complete change of pace helps to keep drivers engaged which is something that single service companies cannot offer.
2. Pay More for Experienced Drivers
People who have plenty of experience on the road driving a motorbike, acting as a courier, or performing deliveries with a van avoid issues that inexperienced drivers do not. This keeps the fleet up and running with fewer problems. Some of the cost savings can be passed onto the drivers themselves too.
The extra knowledge and wherewithal about what’s involved can lead drivers to mention a strange sound with the engine or something else that a newer driver might not comment about. The company can respond by performing necessary maintenance earlier than usual which results in keeping more of the fleet on the road.
3. Flexible Hours
Not being stuck in an office all day, drivers are used to having greater flexibility to pop into the shops on a break and do other things that an office-bound worker usually cannot.
In keeping with this, many drivers want to have flexible working hours. It allows them to tend to chores, handle small emergencies, or pick up the kids when their partner cannot get themselves free.
It leads to greater job satisfaction and better staff retention rates too.
4. Pay Attention to Why They Left Previous Delivery Position(s)
While an applicant might wish to be somewhat vague about why they left previous deliver driver positions, it’s better to dig down and get the real reasons for it.
What aspect of their roles did they dislike? How does this compare to the working experience of your delivery drivers? Will their future be similar to their past and lead to the same outcome?
Filling the role is important but hiring the right people who’ll benefit the company and stick around for several years is preferable. Just looking for a “parking space” job for a few more months before moving on again won’t do.
Hiring better delivery drivers isn’t as simple as it appears. Sure, you need them to have a reasonably clean driving license, but that’s only the beginning. Dig deeper to find the best people for each role.