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“It’s the price of leadership to do the thing you believe has to be done at the time it must be done.”

– Lyndon B. Johnson
36th president of the United States

Does your recruiting message reflect your corporate culture?

By Ellen Voie

Thumb through any trucking-related magazine and you will see a variety of recruiting ads, each one designed to stand out from the others. Even in today’s less intense capacity environment, these ads continue to dominate many industry publications. What makes an ad for one company different from the next? What does the ad imply to the reader?

If a carrier is trying to portray an image in their ad, the graphics and text should align with their corporate culture. A driver should have some idea of what the company is like by looking at the print ad. The photo and the copy should be consistent with the relationship the carrier has with its drivers.

For example, if there is a dog in the picture, the reader should be able to assume that the company allows pets in the truck. A flatbed trailer should indicate that the type of freight hauled does not go in a tank or van. A late model conventional would imply that the fleet trucks are newer, and not cabover tractors.

What about the words or graphics that might not be so obvious? If there is a photo of a woman and two small children in front of a house and the text reads, “We get you home often,” would the ad appeal to a young, unmarried female?

Carriers that welcome women drivers should closely examine the message their recruiting department uses. Think about your target and then consider what is important to that group. For women, an important aspect of the job is about safety and security. What does your ad reveal about how your company ensures their driver’s wellbeing?

A company’s corporate culture should be reflected in their ads. How do the words attract or repel the reader? Are they using stereotypical copy that might even offend potential drivers? Some ads contain graphics that not only exclude some reader, but they actually create a negative image of the carrier to some groups that were not considered.

Any recruiting ad that includes women who dress or pose seductively could potentially offend female drivers and husband-wife teams. An ad that makes fun of a driver’s wife or mother-in-law also creates a negative impression of a company for potential employees.

The most important part of an ad for the reader is “What’s in it for me?” This requirement will change for each driver, depending on that person’s priorities. A young, single driver may be looking for miles and a longer length of haul, while a married driver with young children searches for a great local run with lots of home time. Some drivers prefer specific equipment and others will focus on the type of products hauled. Today, the stability of the company can also attract more drivers who are looking for financial security.
If a recruiting ad doesn’t make a connection with readers, they will move on to the next one. The carrier may have what the driver is looking for, but if they don’t reveal this in their marketing materials, it won’t attract their target audience of drivers.

Ellen Voie is president and CEO of Women In Trucking, Inc.

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