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Due to the economic and labour market conditions that have prevailed over the past decade and the relative stability in wage rates, organizations have not been required to be pro-active in their recruiting efforts. Often they have relied upon convenient and inexpensive methods such as walk-ins and referrals for their candidates. Times are changing, not only in terms of a shift from it being a “buyer’s” to a “seller’s” market, but also human rights and diversity goals are forcing a re-examination of recruiting strategies.

 If You Can Drive a Truck, You Can Drive a Bus - Right?

 A traditional source of drivers for the motor carrier passenger industry has been trucking. The logic for this is that truckers have the essential driving and large vehicle handling skills needed to operate a bus safely and efficiently. Notwithstanding these obvious benefits, as customer service becomes a more important aspect of the bus operator’s job, many companies are questioning whether driving a truck is the best kind of training for candidates who are being recruited into a customer-service job.

If a company is to sustain a technically competent, customer-focused and committed workforce, it has to be drawing upon as rich a pool of candidates and recruits as possible. Traditional methods and sources for candidates will not produce this result. In addition to changing their methods and sources for recruits, companies will have to re-assess some of their beliefs and values about diversity and the skills required to be a bus operator. Finally, values play an important role in a company being able to attract the right kind of candidates.

Do Values Matter?

Mention the name of a prominent Canadian corporation - The Hudson’s Bay, Canadian Pacific, Canada Post or Air Canada - and each and every one of us quickly forms an image based upon our opinion of that corporation and what we feel are its values. Values drive corporations to become the kinds of organizations they are and ultimately the “image” they have in the public’s mind. This image can help or hinder in the recruiting process and that is why values matter.