Business Mentor NY – a program of Empire State Development

Program Update

Mentees and Mentors,

We appreciate your interest in mentorship. Please be advised that after March 31, 2024, the Business Mentor NY Program will cease to operate. However, you can continue to access mentoring services by contacting Entrepreneurship Assistance Centers in your area at esd.ny.gov/eac-directory to obtain one-on-one counseling with your current business idea or small business.

If you would like to continue offering pro bono mentoring services to entrepreneurs or small business owners, please email us at nylovessmbiz@esd.ny.gov with your core business skills, experience or education and your preferred service area.

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Hello, We are having difficulty finding qualified drivers, we've placed ads on Craigslist and in several newspapers.How can we find qualified applicants? Thanks

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7 answers

Most of the ads I see for drivers include signing bonuses. Are you in a position to offer a cash signing bonus? This is a double-edged sword. You can postpone payment of the bonus 30 or 60 days, but if the market is that tight, what else are you doing to ensure employees want to stay? Are you offering a competitive salary, benefits, additional training or certification, etc. What is the condition and age of your vehicles? Are they nice? Well-maintained? Do you mention that in your ad? Good luck!

Report Kari's answer

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I would recommend posting the openings online in venues other than Craigslist.  While I believe at one time Craigslist was a good community forum, it's developing a reputation of being somewhat riddled with scams.  I would recommend posting on Indeed.com, Monster, ZipRecruiter, and a few others of that caliber.  Make sure the job description is clear and to the point, with specific expectations of the role.

Also, do ensure that you're competitive in this area.  Sites like Glassdoor, Payscale and Salary.com will show you what the going rate is in the area and what bigger-name competitors provide in the full compensation package to their drivers.  Qualified drivers know what they're worth, so make sure you're in that ballpark.

Best of luck- if you have specific questions, or would like to describe yoru situation in more detail for advice, please message me.

Report Laura's answer

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Consider aligning with vocational driving schools such as National Tractor Trailer School in Liverpool, NY.  I'm not sure what licensing you need for your drivers, however, NTTS offers CDLA and B and often has trucking companies onsite to meet with future grads.  Developing a pipleline through strategic relationships is key.  

Report Alicia's answer

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The new york state department of labor has ongoing career days with perspective employers, and applicants looking for work attend these events. I believe you need to contact them and simply let them no you are an employer and continue to the next steps.

Report Gersham's answer

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In our experience sites such as Craig's list, do not pay off because of the reputation that seems to come with them. If you post with Indeed you will get hits; however we find that most of them don't even pass the initial screening that you set up. With CDL drivers we find that linking with schools such as NTTS is helpful, but also have learned not to overlook the non profit recruiters such as the Spanish action league, Interfaith Works, and the Dept of labor. Often there exists a wealth of talent in those places that goes overlooked by most recruiters. The most effective method we've found for both CDL and Non CDL positions though is through grassroots word of mouth recruiting. Working the truck stops or talking to delivery drivers we see on their routes. Generally these folks know someone who is looking for work. Hope his helps

Report Ashton's answer

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Which specific recruitment organisations have the professionals you seek? Many businesses prefer to use someone like this because they do all of the hard work for you. Often they do not charge a fee because they are funded from elsewhere.

Report Merydith's answer

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Have you thought about posting a job on Facebook. Many people use facebook to find work. There are also some professional groups:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1465922660325252/about/

Online job boards and forums are a great place to find people looking for work especially when certifications or special requirements are a barrier to entry

Report Nikki's answer

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