Maximize your odds of hiring better truck drivers by looking for the four key qualities that all great employees share: Work ethic. Humility. Integrity. Maturity. (WHIM)
Granted, the driver shortage is making it tougher to find any truckers—much less the great ones. But it goes without saying that the best hires are usually the ones you keep the longest. For one reason, because they have those key qualities.
Noted author and workplace productivity coach & trainer Garrett Miller (and author of Hiring On A WHIM) offers several great tips for identifying the best candidates. Here’s a summary of those tips:
- “Listen” to the resume. Look for overlapping activities and jobs—signaling strong work ethic and an ability to juggle. Note any employment gaps, and ask about them.
- Assess their WORK ethic. Ask candidates to describe their work experience in detail. Listen for signs of motivation, intensity, and excitement.
- Discern their HUMILITY. Ask candidates to describe the last process they had to learn. Good signs are willingness to ask for help and seek coaching. Ask what they learned from their most humbling moment.
- Determine their INTEGRITY. Ask candidates about their biggest disappointment or failure, and see if they took the appropriate level of responsibility for it.
- Evaluate their MATURITY. Ask candidates to talk about one of their greatest regrets. Listen for bitterness or complaining versus maturity.
- Throw in a Wrench. Knock them off balance to see how they react. New settings create stress and illuminate personality traits.
- Heed Your Gut. Every candidate must have at least one strong example for each WHIM quality, above. If you’re overly enamored with one or two qualities and ignore a gap, you’ll regret it. Listen to your gut.
It’s pretty simple, really: The best drivers love what they do. Miller’s tips are a helpful system for separating the drivers who merely say they love their work from the ones who really do.
At the same time, when you emphasize the importance of the qualities mentioned above in your recruiting efforts, you’re positioning your company as the kind of quality organization that quality drivers want to join.
Click on the following link to read Garrett’s article, 7 Tips for Hiring Great Employees, in its entirety.
