[IMAGE]mc-2.jpg[/IMAGE]With the economy still sluggish, exceedingly high unemployment rates have stymied nearly every state across the U.S. For some motorcoach operators looking to hire new drivers or other staff, this has expanded the candidate pool.

However, that doesn't mean that coach carriers are skimping on recruitment or training. In fact, operators are sticking with stringent screening and training practices to save money. To retain employees, they say that money isn't always the best solution. Knowing how to select the best drivers to begin with reduces waste of time and money further down the line.

Shoring up talent

Brian Parker, safety director of Seattle-based MTR Western, says hiring and hanging on to skilled employees in the current economic climate has enabled them to do less recruiting and review more inquiries. "We've gone from seeking, recruiting and trying to develop drivers to having a better selection," Parker says.

The skill set of the individual looking for a position now, Parker adds, has dramatically improved. "That's indicative of some pretty talented people, who are finding themselves for any number of reasons unemployed, wanting to make a change," he says.

MTR uses online job boards, including Monster, Career Builder and Transit Talent, but still primarily relies on word of mouth. "Our drivers are our best recruiters. We offer employees cash referral incentives. [We want to] make sure that the people who come to work here are consistent with the people that are already working here in terms of ability, passion and focus," says Parker. The carrier also participates in employment trade shows, visits college campuses, and seeks out people who are looking for summer or seasonal employment.

To help support its 2010 Vancouver Olympics work last February, MTR hired nearly 45 employees, 25 of whom were drivers. "We were competing with every other [coach] operation in addition to the transit districts and the Olympic Committee for drivers. We didn't have any trouble finding people to work for us. We had really great people, some of whom we've kept on," Parker explains. Aside from its work on the Olympics, MTR hired approximately 15 drivers in the last two years.

Glenelg, Md.-based Eyre Bus currently employs 60 drivers and has made 15 new hires in the past year. Even in today's market and unemployment rates, the carrier is contending with a driver shortage. Michael McDonal, director of safety, says that the operator is looking to hire six to 10 drivers.

Eyre's most successful tool for recruiting is a driver video on YouTube that they initially developed into a television commercial a few years ago. It has proven very effective and inexpensive, reaching the popular Website's audience: 99 percent of applicants say they found Eyre Bus through the Internet. "They're not listening to the radio, reading newspaper ads and, quite frankly, the few ads that we've run have brought in drivers that were much less than desirable," McDonal says.

"You would think that with the unemployment rate we have today, drivers would be falling all over you for a job," he adds. "Unfortunately [many] that come in are unqualified for what we do," In particular, he points to truck drivers, who may not be used to dealing with people on a regular basis. "I say, 'Our freight talks back.' They think you just get behind the wheel, drive from point A to point B and you're done. In the charter business, driving is half the job. It's your interaction with [people] that really make a difference. It takes a special kind of person to do this work, because it's not easy."

Gwen Elmore, president of Virginia Beach, Va.-based Fun Tours, has had a different experience. "It used to be difficult to get enough good drivers. That doesn't seem to be the case now," she says. "I think a lot of our competitors have gone out of business, so those people are applying and we're getting to choose the better [candidates]."

Last fall, Fun Tours landed a government contract that required them to run two buses to a location, round-the-clock, for three-and-a-half months. "We did solicit new drivers during that period and decided to keep a few when demand went down," Elmore says.

The most critical factor in recruiting and retaining drivers is being honest with them up front, McDonal says. The most important step he takes with each applicant is to emphasize in the interview that the job is not nine-to-five, or Monday-to-Friday. "It can be a very rewarding career, but a lot of hard work. I can paint you the prettiest picture in the world of this company, and it will all be absolutely true, but I'd rather tell you the reality of being a professional motorcoach operator.'"

[PAGEBREAK]Screening, hiring practices

Looking into an employee's background as extensively as possible can pay off in the long run despite the cost and time spent.

For MTR and Eyre, screening includes reference checks, a review of the driving record and a criminal and sex offender background investigation, which normally comes back within 48 hours of the initial inquiry. Both are completed before the second interview. Eyre gets a signed agreement from the applicant for the background check while they're conducting the interview. One of the human resources staff members runs a quick local criminal investigative history. If something pops up, they can question the applicant about it.

MTR is enrolled in the new FMCSA Pre-Employment Screening Program. In addition, they use HireRight, an online employment screening program created by the Irvine, Calif.-based company of the same name. Parker says that in his experience, HireRight has a "strong network for background on CDL holders and commercial transportation employment history."

MTR's hiring process includes a series of phone and in-person interviews; a technical skills demonstration and a road test; a follow-up interview with at least two senior members of the executive team and a final interview with the chief executive.

The Scheig Associates personality assessment is used by Eyre and MTR to identify an applicant's approach to the position and helps determine whether or not the individual falls above or below the national benchmark for candidates.

The assessment is customized to occupations such as coach operators or mechanics. Typically, it asks different questions about situations that not only determine the applicant's personality but how he or she would react in adverse situations. For example, if the bus the applicant was ­driving broke down would he get ­upset, lose control or take charge? How would he handle a difficult ­passenger?

MTR also conducts a thorough medical evaluation, using the Austin, Texas-based WorkSTEPS physical agility assessment review, designed to determine an individual's ability to load a coach with luggage and open and close the compartment and engine doors. The test takes place in-house in a controlled environment with a trained medical professional.

In the interview, MTR tries to get a sense of the applicant's personality after determining with tests whether or not the person is physically, legally and medically qualified. "The ­personal interview is all about getting to know them and trying to determine if they possess characteristics consistent with our philosophy toward service and delivering the best quality product to our customer. We try to hire good people. We can teach them how to be good drivers," says Parker.

Eyre also designs its interview to ensure the applicant is on the same page as the company. It costs the operator in the range of $4,000 and $6,000 to train each new hire between what they pay the candidate, burn in fuel and pay the trainer per person per class. "You want to make sure you make a good pick before you invest that kind of time and money in somebody because you want to get a return on that investment," McDonal says.

Keeping good employees

To retain exceptional drivers, McDonal says, the No. 1 step to take is to train employees well the first time and then continually train and reward them. All operators agree that often, recognition and a positive workplace trump money when it comes to the most effective reward.

McDonal explains that once Eyre hires a candidate, investing in extensive training is essential, despite the cost. Eyre Bus' new hires complete a program lasting anywhere from four to six weeks — depending on the driver's prior motorcoach experience — before they get behind the wheel with passengers.

Drivers in training spend approximately two weeks in the classroom, reviewing federal regulations, accommodating riders with disabilities and customer service. The remaining time is spent behind the wheel with a trainer or senior driver. In addition, because Eyre is located so close to the nation's capital, new drivers spend a week learning how to conduct ­driving tours in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. They also spend two days on the road learning how to drive in Western Maryland's mountainous environment. After that, a week or two is spent on learning how ­commuter runs work.

Every year, Eyre recertifies each of their drivers. They take a day to a day and-a-half, putting them through the paces of what they do daily, offering ways to improve and refreshing them on their initial training.

Additionally, the operator holds quarterly driver meetings and gives "Excellence in Travel" awards, which include a $50 gift certificate, to drivers that have gone above and beyond. Every five-, 10-, 15- or 20-year anniversary, a driver gets a personally signed letter from the company owner and a thank you check that increases with tenure. Other anniversaries are commemorated with $50 gas cards. Recently, Eyre held their Annual Safety Awards, which commemorated 222 years of safe driving, and gave out more than $5,000 in ­bonuses.

However, what gets the biggest response is posting in the drivers' room every customer letter or e-mail that commends a driver's performance. The driver also gets a copy. "To them that means the most. We now have a wall with e-mails on it from customers saying how great a job these folks do," McDonal says.

Parker says that very few people leave MTR to seek better positions in a similar industry because they employ the "three-legged stool" of a successful business. Their sales department's mission is to contract the best possible work available for the drivers. Their operations department and owner do their best to ensure they operate the best equipment on the road and hire the best available drivers. "If you've got good work and good equipment you'll have good drivers. If you have good drivers and good equipment you'll get good work. All those things are related," Parker says.

Elmore agrees. "There are drivers who work for us that would drive nowhere else. They say we're the best place to drive and work, and they like our equipment. Good drivers want to drive good equipment. If you want to keep good drivers, you have to have good equipment as well."

Parker adds that creating a positive culture makes workers want to stay. MTR does this by emphasizing that everyone works toward the same objective: delivering a superior product. "If everyone's working toward that goal, then we're all pulling in the same direction. Then, you reward and recognize them through salary or other incentives. If it's 'here I go again, one more day back at the grind,' that's not positive. We maintain a positive environment, [which] makes for a happier workplace."

To maintain a positive work culture, making sure management is managing up as opposed to down is crucial, Parker notes. The way he sees it, it's the managers' responsibility — not the employees' — to ensure that all their staff members have the necessary training, tools and equipment available in order to be successful.

"I don't hold them accountable for getting their own tools and managing their own training to get results. We're not managing toward failure, we're managing toward success," Parker says. MTR works to provide every possible tool and instruction to the team to assist them in being successful, as opposed to wondering why they're not, he adds. "In business practices it's called the inverted pyramid management style. The person sitting at the top of the executive chain or the organizational chart is pushing everything up toward the people as opposed to letting it roll down the hill."

Basically, Elmore says, drivers want to be treated like the rest of us: with respect. "You have to constantly thank them for the good job they do. Back them up when you know that they're right and just be supportive."

Until about two years ago, due to the economy, Fun Tours gave out cash incentives to drivers that didn't have any customer complaints or accidents within a 30-day period. Despite a lack of funds, Fun Tours still finds ways to recognize their drivers. "Every December, we take all of our employees to lunch, in the summer we have a cookout, and we do a newsletter. Three out of the last four years that the City of Virginia Beach has given a Transportation Person of the Year Award, our drivers have won. We make sure there's a newsletter put out and everyone knows all about it," says Elmore.

 

About the author
Nicole Schlosser

Nicole Schlosser

Former Executive Editor

Nicole was an editor and writer for School Bus Fleet. She previously worked as an editor and writer for Metro Magazine, School Bus Fleet's sister publication.

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