Drivers wanted Email
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Thursday, April 09, 2015 04:31 PM

How many times a day do you see the sign on the vehicle ahead of you that says, "Drivers Wanted?" And how many times to you shake your head over new hires who aren’t legal to drive?

Research is showing that there will be even fewer potential drivers in our future.  Americans born after 1983 are simply not driving as much as their parents did. They tend to rely more on walking, biking and riding transit more while driving less than previous generations did at the same age.  

Some of this trend may have been sparked by the recent recession and other temporary factors. But researchers predict that the trend will be permanent. Millennials are less car-focused than previous generations and they drive less. Cars for them are more just transportation than a status symbol and cars are expendable. As a group, they are three times more willing to give up their cars than their parents’ generation.

For an industry that relies heavily on transportation and qualified drivers, there may be a message here that applies to landscape industry recruitment. Part of the messaging that is directed at millennials may need to include the value for them personally in having a valid driver’s license and a good MVR – even if they rely primarily on public transportation to get around.  

Looking ahead to the younger employees we need to attract, this trend may be something to consider. What great benefits are there for employees who qualify as drivers? How can we influence young people who are in high school Career Pathway programs, for example, l to value a license and a good MVR? The proverbial WIFM (what’s in it for me) around driving may need to be included in the curriculum areas that deal with personal skills and behavior.  

Maybe this is something to think about next time you’re stuck in traffic behind that vehicle with the DRIVERS WANTED sign.

Data courtesy Angie Schmitt, Greater Washington and Streetsblog

Read more in this issue of Colorado Green NOW:
Do customers like how you treat them?
Have you guaranteed your company’s debt?
Start-up is busy for thieves too
How are you treating boomers?