Article Summary
How do I stop turnover at my trucking fleet?
- Audit your hiring alignment: Ensure job descriptions exactly match the daily reality of the role, and evaluate candidates for cultural fit alongside their technical skills to prevent early departures.
- Map out clear career paths: Provide realistic advancement opportunities and access to professional development, showing employees that the fleet is actively investing in their long-term future.
- Establish veteran mentorship: Pair new hires with experienced employees to ease the onboarding transition, which improves retention for rookies while increasing job satisfaction for mentors.
- Prioritize transparent communication: Keep the entire team informed about company activities and decisions, creating an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and connected.
- Provide continuous feedback: Shift away from relying solely on annual reviews by offering regular feedback and immediate recognition when an employee performs well.
It seems as if the trucking industry has a perennial people shortage. It isn’t just the result of not being able to find good people; it’s also because we have trouble keeping people once we do hire them. However, retaining employees is just as important as hiring them in the first place.
For one thing, employee turnover costs your fleet a lot of money. According to human resources experts, the average cost of replacing an employee who has left your company is 50% of that employee’s annual salary. In essence, retaining employees helps reduce operating costs.
Retaining employees is also good for company morale. When people are constantly leaving your business, it can undermine the morale of other employees, which can lead to additional resignations. Long-tenured employees have a great deal of knowledge about your business and expertise. When they leave, they take that knowledge and skill set with them. Other benefits to retaining employees include increased productivity and a better experience for your customers.
Employee retention starts with the hiring process. Make sure you are hiring the right people for the organization. Make sure your job description matches the job the new employee will actually be doing. Employees are more prone to leave if the description of the job they were hired for does not match the actual work they are expected to do. Remember during the hiring process to not only look at the skills a candidate has, but also at whether they will be a good fit for your company’s culture.
Make sure you have created career paths and opportunities for professional development. Many people want to know what the opportunities for advancement are within a company. By creating and sharing realistic career paths and providing access to the additional education needed, you are showing employees that you are willing to invest in them and that you see them as valuable members of your team.
Set up mentorship programs for new hires so they can learn from veteran employees. Not only does this benefit the new hire, but the mentors themselves can get satisfaction from the work they do developing newer employees.
Make sure you are keeping your employees informed about company activities and be transparent in your communications with them. People want to feel like they are part of something, and by sharing what the company is doing, you make people feel valued and part of the team.
Finally, make sure employees know how well they are doing. Consider providing feedback on a regular basis rather than waiting for an annual review. When an employee does something well, acknowledge it and let them know they are appreciated.
If you want your company to operate efficiently, make sure you are not just focusing on hiring the right people, but also paying attention to retaining the talent you have.
