Everyone understands the transportation and logistics industry’s importance to the U.S. economy because of all the supply chain issues we have been experiencing. If you have noticed all the local delivery trucks and vans and 18-wheelers on the highway, you know companies need to hire qualified people to drive them and logistics employees to manage warehouse and shipping operations.
This is easier said than done because transportation and logistics companies are having difficulty finding qualified truck and delivery drivers and logistics employees. There is a shortage of 60,000 drivers, and the U.S. Department of Labor predicts demand for logistics managers will increase by 30% between 2020 and 2030.
HR leaders and hiring managers in transportation and logistics companies are having difficulty recruiting qualified candidates to fill truck and delivery driver and logistics positions. So, they are implementing new ways to recruit qualified drivers and logistics managers to manage shipping and warehouse operations.
Many have added skills testing to their hiring process to evaluate applicants’ knowledge and abilities and quickly identify top candidates. Using pre-hire skills tests saves them hours they would normally spend reviewing resumes and scheduling and conducting screening interviews.
How Skills Testing Works
Skills testing enables you to screen hundreds and even thousands of applicants and quickly identify those who are best qualified. And the best assessment solutions allow you to tailor pre-hire skills tests to match your job roles perfectly. The eSkill Talent Assessment PlatformTM provides access to a library with hundreds of validated subject- and job-related assessments such as Logistics Manager, Supply Chain Manager, Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager, and Warehouse Supervisor.
You can use the pre-prepared skills tests or customize them by adding and deleting questions and designating difficulty levels. If you prefer, you can create your own assessments using questions from multiple pre-hire skills tests and add proprietary content. Once applicants complete and submit assessments, you can quickly sort the results by score and move top candidates to the next stage of your hiring process.
Skills Tests to Hire Logistics Employees
When hiring logistics employees, you are most interested in evaluating specific job-related skills and experience, such as managing inbound and outbound shipping. However, the employees will be involved in other areas of your company and collaborate closely with other teams. So, you should also evaluate their skills in other areas.
The Supply Chain Manager skills test assesses candidates’ proficiency in Capacity Management, Forecasting, Inventory Management, Lean Manufacturing, and Production Planning.
Logistics and supply chain managers often have direct reports and frequently encounter critical problems that require immediate attention. So, you should also include questions from the Team Management, Leadership Skills, and Problem-Solving assessments to evaluate soft skills such as people management, interpersonal communication, collaboration, and problem resolution.
Pre-Hire Skills Tests for Truck and Delivery Drivers
While safe driving skills are a top priority when hiring truck and delivery drivers, there are many other skills you should measure depending on your specific job requirements.
The Delivery Driver pre-hire skills test helps you evaluate applicants’ map reading and GPS navigation abilities. If you require drivers to complete paperwork and maintain shipping and delivery records, you can add questions from the Data Checking and Attention to Detail skills tests. If your drivers have frequent contact with customers, include questions from the Customer Service skills test and the Verbal Communication, Collaboration, and Problem-Solving assessments to evaluate soft skills.
How Skills Testing Minimizes Unconscious Bias
As an added benefit, skills testing helps minimize unconscious bias throughout your hiring process. Subjective bias is difficult to recognize and usually is not intentional. However, it makes it challenging to evaluate candidates solely based on merit. This means HR and hiring managers need to acknowledge that bias exists and try to eliminate it.
Skills testing helps you minimize unconscious bias by enabling you to compare applicants using quantitative data. All candidates complete the same assessments, and answers are scored automatically. Any video questions included in skills tests are on-demand, which means hiring team members record the questions, and applicants respond by recording their answers.
Applicants have no direct contact with hiring team members. Some organizations even disable the video so hiring team members can evaluate responses without seeing the applicants. This ensures you hire the best candidates and increases the diversity of your workforce.
How Skills Testing Helps Transportation and Logistics Companies
Skills testing helps HR leaders and hiring managers determine whether candidates have the required skills for logistics and truck/delivery driver positions.
Are you interested in learning how skills testing can help you quickly identify top logistics and truck/delivery job candidates? Contact us to request a dBest Skills Tests for Logistics and Trucking Hiringemo.
