Since you’re running a coach hire business, the highlight of your business is the drivers. Of course, it’s a given that the coaches you rent out should be in prime condition. However, even if you have the most expensive coaches, if the drivers lack knowledge and experience, they can significantly affect your business reputation. Besides, if you hire them, you’re allowing them to represent your company. So, if you don’t take precautions when looking for the right drivers to hire, it means you’re not looking out for your business.
Coach hire is one of the most popular services for people to rely on when they’re going on trips, attending events, or participating in other activities with large groups. It’s cost-effective, sustainable, and eliminates the possibility of getting lost. So, if people avail themselves of coach hire services, it means they’re relying on the capabilities of the drivers to help them reach their destination.
In this article, we’ll discuss some tips for finding the right drivers for your coach hire business.
1. Look Beyond Driving Skills
Although the priority when hiring drivers is their driving skills, there are a lot more things you should look out for. Some of these include whether they’re friendly, courteous, and patient. Hiring drivers with good personalities can be good in business because it allows the clients to feel safer, and there’s a higher chance that they’ll avail of coach hire services again and recommend your business to the people they know.
2. Confirm License and Certifications
Even if the drivers have exquisite driving skills, you can’t hire them if they don’t have a licence and other certificates that can prove they can drive vehicles like coaches. Having the right licences and certificates can help you process the right papers and can give you confidence in the business you’re building.
In addition, you should also double-check the authenticity of the papers they provide. Besides, there’s no harm in knowing if the documents are fake or real.
3. Prioritise Experience
If a driver is experienced enough, they have more skills aside from driving. It also includes time management, road safety, and passenger care. For instance, if a passenger isn’t feeling well, they can suggest going to the nearest hospital or a pharmacy to help them feel better. In addition, if the passenger requested just a few-minute extension, they can feel free to discuss it with the driver.
4. Conduct Thorough Background Checks
When looking into the experience of the drivers, don’t hesitate to conduct a background check. It’s when you look into their past experiences or employment history and ask whether they have been great employees. You can also look for criminal records, driving records, and any other violations that they have committed before.
5. Test for Practical Knowledge
As mentioned, you should know things about the drivers you’re going to hire beyond their driving skills. So aside from confirming their driver’s licence, certificates, driving skills, and ability to connect with clients, conducting a thorough interview is also a must. It allows you to get to know their awareness, thought process, and how they handle certain situations while on the road.
6. Evaluate Professionalism
First impression matters a lot when you’re hiring people who will represent your company. So, even at the initial interview, you should observe the drivers applying for the job. They should be able to present themselves well since they serve as the ambassadors of your brand. Although it’s still okay to show their individuality, they should also know how to be professional.
7. Offer Ongoing Training
The drivers should be aware of the benefits they can get once they get hired. Some of these benefits include training on customer service, defensive driving, road safety, and company policy.
Besides, since they’ll be representing the company, they should also be well aware and content with what they’re receiving in return.
8. Prioritise Cultural Fit
Compatibility is one of the factors creating a successful employee-employer relationship. So, if the company culture suits the driver, they can easily adjust to their new workplace.
On the other hand, you can easily grasp if someone isn’t open to following or adapting to the current work environment culture you’re creating. If this is the case, you can create a middle ground where both parties can become comfortable enough to work together.
9. Encourage Employee Referrals
If you have already hired some drivers, you can ask them if they know other drivers who can also work in your company. Since you have a great hiring process and are looking out for the best drivers, there’s a high chance that these drivers also know others who have the same driving skills and a great attitude. However, these recruits should also undergo the same process as the ones you’ve already hired.
10. Retain Through Respect and Recognition
It doesn’t end once the hiring process does. The most important thing starts when you agree to hire your drivers, which is to recognise and respect the work they do. Aside from proper compensation, the drivers should also receive respect, bonuses, and other benefits they can get from other companies (or even more). The more they feel they’re appreciated, the higher the chance they won’t go anywhere and maintain loyalty to the company.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right drivers for your coach hire business requires a lot of patience and other resources. By trying out the tips listed in this article, you can easily find the right drivers for your coach hire company that can ensure the safety of the passengers and uphold the brand’s integrity.
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