Do Drivers Really Want to Use WorkHound?

When you’re considering a feedback program like WorkHound, it’s only natural to wonder whether it’s a tool that your drivers will actually want to use. After all, that’s a key part of making buying decisions about services and programs for your business. You need to know the value of the product.

This is a question we come across frequently — and it’s also one we can answer definitively. The answer is YES! Drivers who have access to WorkHound use it, and drivers within the industry who know about WorkHound wish they could.

How We Know What Drivers Want
Here at WorkHound, we have a pretty good handle on what drivers need and want. After all, gathering driver feedback is what we do! So, how do we know drivers like engaging with WorkHound as a way to share feedback? 

That information comes directly from the source. From gathering and analyzing driver feedback, we know that the vast majority of drivers want a feedback tool that allows them to remain anonymous. 

Around 90 percent of drivers indicate that anonymity is an important reason they’re willing to share feedback. There’s also data at the other end of the spectrum: Only 1 percent of drivers are willing to pre-emptively self-reveal, or share their feedback with their name attached.

We’ve also learned more about why drivers want to use WorkHound from our trends reports, which we put together regularly based on feedback across the industry. In fact, the recently released Mid-Year Driver Feedback Trends report unpacked some important information about at-risk drivers in particular.

These at-risk drivers are the ones who most value a tool like WorkHound — they’re looking for a way to communicate with the on-site team and leadership. Communication issues are common (and potentially disastrous) in dissatisfied workers, who are most likely to quit. 

The good news is that even the drivers at the highest risk of turnover are often willing to engage with their companies — if given a tool to do so. That’s why WorkHound is invaluable: because poor communication and disrespectful interactions with other employees can lead to irreparable damage to a relationship.

Why Drivers Want to Use WorkHound
We touched on this above, but it’s worth discussing in-depth. Strong communication is an essential part of a driver/trucking carrier relationship, but trust has to be built before drivers truly feel comfortable sharing.

Offering them an anonymous way to share their thoughts and concerns is a way of breaking through that barrier. They can share unfiltered, honest feedback, and once their company responds or takes action, trust is developed.

“The heart of it is that drivers want to be anonymous,” says Max Farrell, Co-Founder and CEO at WorkHound. “There’s a real concern in the industry about experiencing repercussions because they give feedback. Many of them probably have real experiences to back up that fear. Because of that, drivers are less likely to want to share their real-time concerns in a way that requires revealing their identity. Drivers are more likely to just quit than let a company know what they can improve.”

Even the act of providing WorkHound as an anonymous way to offer feedback is a step toward building the trust needed to fuel driver retention. In the long run, drivers want to feel their opinions are valued and used in shaping the company’s future.

“Drivers can build confidence in a company, and that builds trust over time,” Farrell says. “There are drivers who might give a positive rating, but then they also share things that need to improve. We know that drivers can be at risk and still want to be a part of the solution if companies will let them.”

How Trucking Carriers Are Promoting WorkHound
An added benefit of partnering with WorkHound? It can become a recruiting tool! 

“Many companies now include WorkHound in their job descriptions,” Farrell says. “It shows that they are actively seeking ways to make the working environment better for their drivers.”

Drivers are looking for employers that treat them as respected and valued members of the team — part of the “brain trust,” so to speak. Implementing a feedback program is a key way of demonstrating that to prospective employees.

Is it time to give your drivers what they want? Sign up for a free demo to learn how WorkHound can help!