If hiring truck drivers is part of your job description, asking the right questions to candidates will undoubtedly lead to more quality hires and reduce your turnover. It’s important to pose your questions in a way that reveals the ethics and culture of the company, as well as reveal insights into their character. Finding the right balance is not always easy, and knowing the ways to interpret responses can also be a challenge.
Aside from the typical employment history questions, it’s helpful for both the trucking company and applicant to understand how–or if–they are a good fit. As a start, take a look at these three essential questions to ask truck driver candidates.
1. What actions would you take if you were late for an on-time delivery?
A driver may face a late delivery for any number of reasons. It could be related to weather. The driver may have been stuck in traffic behind an accident. Or, a driver may have been forced to miss the on-time window due to driver hour restrictions. While all businesses want their on-time delivery rates to be exceptional, this question will help you determine the lengths to which this individual will represent the company with integrity or whether or not they would break the rules, or even laws, to make themselves try to look good.
2. What steps would you take if you were in an accident?
Safety is at the forefront of all driver-related hires. If a driver has a bad accident at their fault, it can put the reputation of the company on the line in addition to potential legal issues. And, of course, you want to protect the safety of everyone on the road. Some drivers may respond that they would carry on if the accident was not serious and no one was injured. Others might respond that no matter how big or small the accident they would follow company policy, as well as the law. You have to determine the responses that fall in line with your company ethics and critical safety measures.
3. How would you react if a customer becomes aggressive or angry because a shipment is late or a delivery is damaged?
On-time deliveries and product care are sensitive areas for everyone. On occasion, a driver may encounter an unhappy customer during delivery. The driver represents your company on the road and off the road when interacting with others. It’s important that the driver responds with an answer that demonstrates they have experience working in confrontational situations and that they are able to react with superior conflict resolution skills.
Whether you’re a novice or experienced interviewer, these simple yet important open-ended questions can determine a lot. Each question is a great way to explore the character of the driver candidate and if they fit within the culture of the company.
Hightower Blog Guest Article: Amy Klimek. Amy is an experienced HR recruiter and VP of Human Resources for ZipRecruiter.
Recruiting truck drivers and looking for more ways to hire qualified prospects? Get in touch with The Hightower Agency, The Leader in Recruitment Advertising. We’d love to chat about enhancing your driver recruitment advertising strategy!