Onboarding new commercial contract drivers can be an exciting time for your company. To give new contractors the information, tools and relationships they need, it helps to have the right processes in place from the start. Not only that, but best practice procedures can help to mitigate risk further down the track by setting you and your new contract driver up for success.
From streamlining your onboarding process to setting clear criteria and compiling the right documents, we’ve got you covered with the following 5 tips to ensure your working relationship starts as successfully as you mean for it to go on. Let’s dive in.
Hiring a new commercial contract driver not only means you’ll need to improve driver onboarding and induction processes, but you’ll want to maintain consistent visibility of important information too. That’s where utilising the right tools and technology can help you to streamline the entire onboarding process from start to finish.
Digitalising your onboarding and induction process can help you organise and keep track of all the important documents in one place. Plus, digital technology allows you to communicate directly and answer questions from your drivers immediately. Industry specific platforms like Road Ninja are designed for companies and drivers, and not only connect you to drivers directly, but provide the recommended documentation such as Independent Contractor Agreements (ICAs) too (more on that later).
When you’re looking at hiring quality drivers, it helps to reflect your company's needs by establishing clear criteria for the job. Define the parameters of the job such as:
Clarifying the requirements of the job for you and your driver is an important part of establishing standards at the start of the onboarding process. And not only does establishing key criteria encourage you to vet the best fit for the job early on, but it will also help you define Independent Contractor Agreements (ICAs) too.
Once you’ve defined the job criteria, be sure to infuse your job advertisement or online company profile with an accurate reflection of your business’s values. And when you discover a driver who is right for the job, set the standard straight away by replying to messages and answering questions in good time.
Treat your drivers well throughout the duration of the onboarding process. Keep communication open and clear and answer any questions or queries to ensure that you and your driver are on the same page from the get go. Embodying company culture is also a good opportunity to ensure you interact with contractors in ways that will help them to get on well with any existing workforce you have.
Plus, it contributes to a trustworthy and strong company reputation in the real world and online, by encouraging positive word of mouth reviews and feedback from previous contractors that your new recruit can use as a reference point for your company’s culture.
On that note, make sure you check driver’s references, online ratings and feedback so you can be sure you’re doing your due diligence throughout the onboarding process. Ratings, reviews and references are there to help you verify your onboarding prospects - which is why Road Ninja includes them for companies and contract drivers on our app.
Feedback and references are also there to help with your health and safety onboarding process, as they provide an opportunity for you to check drivers skills, experience and working time frames from previous employers or companies who have worked with them before. That way you can be sure you are not only hiring someone reliable, but they’re able to uphold safety procedures, too.
Plus, checking feedback and references will provide you with the final information you need to ask any additional questions if required - such as what insurance policies your driver has. Not only that, but feedback and references from other humans maintains a personal touch to your onboarding process, which is important the more you use technology to stay up to date and organised.
When it comes to onboarding contract drivers properly, compiling the recommended documents makes the process smoother on both sides. And while it’s not mandatory to have an ICA in place, it's highly recommended.
ICA’s outline the business relationship between companies and contractors. Unlike an employment contract, an ICA outlines the full set of job deliverables, including pay. A clear ICA helps protect both parties, establishes expectations and avoids employment misclassification.
Road Ninja provides ICAs for companies and drivers completing work via our platform, but your lawyer can help you draft ICAs for contractors outside of Road Ninja. Having a well defined ICA also helps to establish health and safety requirements, the nature and complexity of the job and the level or risk required for the job.
And speaking of recommended documents, having a clear pre-departure checklist, itinerary and delivery dates ready can make onboarding run easier. Digitalising your pre-departure checks allows you to see the state of all your vehicles on one easy dashboard, while online itineraries can help with real-time check-ins so you can ensure the job is en route to completion every step of the way.
These 5 best practice tips for onboarding new staff will help organise your process, save you time and money, and provide a framework for ensuring you hire the right person for the job. Bringing job requirements, important documents, policies, procedures and company culture together will make certain you and your drivers are happy with the job arrangement - leading to positive feedback on both sides and setting you up for success the next time you onboard a new driver.
So if you’re ready to dive into hiring commercial contract drivers with a digitalised onboarding process, head on over to the Road Ninja website today!