5 Ways to Use Social Media to Retain Drivers

Social media has been greatly increasing in the popularity every year for the past decade. There are now 1.4 billion active Facebook profiles, 236 million Twitter users, and 364 million people on LinkedIn. A lot of truck drivers are very technology savvy and spend a lot of downtime on the road engaging on social platforms. This online social craze is not going to stop any time soon, so how can you, a trucking company, benefit from it?

1. Taking Advantage of Employee Activists – Online employee activists are employees who post pictures, statuses, tweets or anything online that is promoting the company they work for. Forbes.com says that a study showed 1 in 5 employees are online activists. If you can provide these employees an online platform to share their positive opinions about your company, you’ll be able to benefit from social acknowledgement. When employees see other employees posting about the company, they’ll be more inclined to share their thoughts too. With word of mouth still the strongest recruiter, this tactic could influence your next hires. 
2. Highlighting Driver’s Accomplishments – Some carriers will share online when their drivers are celebrating a work anniversary or receiving an award for safety. This is a great way to show your drivers that you are excited for them and appreciate what they bring to your company. A public recognition can go a long way because it not only makes the driver feel special but it also encourages other drivers in your fleet to work hard so that they can be recognized as well.
3. Promote Employee Engagement – Engaged employees are less likely to leave their jobs. Social media is a great and easy way for drivers to engage with fellow drivers and their carrier. Not only will this improve engagement it also has the ability to strengthen relationships between employees. This can happen on Facebook pages, in a company Facebook group, Twitter or another platform that works for your company. EGroup highlights how this can lead to strong employee morale, which can increase retention rates.
4. Celebrate Driver Birthdays – Birthdays are a special day for everyone! Give a quick shout out on a driver’s birthday, whether it be a short tweet or a photo. When a driver knows that you remember their birthday they’ll know that they are appreciated as a member of the company’s team. Little things like this can excite your employees and give them another reason to stay.
5. Post Company Updates – Having an online platform to post interesting or exciting company updates is really beneficial for spreading news quickly. It will provide drivers with the ability to easily share news they are proud of to their friends and family. The more employees share, the more acknowledgement your company will gain without adding extra work to your team. When families feel more connected to their driver and the company they represent, the likelihood a driver stays increases significantly.

How do you use social media? Let us know!
Keep on Truckin’!