As many companies in the industry continue to struggle with driver recruitment and retention, companies like KJ Media are stepping in with solutions.
KJ Media is a full-service, digital media agency dedicated to partnering with companies in the trucking industry and delivering recruiting and retention solutions through digital marketing.
Jackie McManus, founder and CEO of KJ Media, found her way to the trucking industry in 2008. As her career progressed and the industry continued to evolve, she noticed that recruitment processes were lagging behind. KJ Media was formed from this issue as a solution for companies to have tailored recruiting and retention solutions for prospective and current employees.
“As the ATA reports are coming out, it looks like there is going to be close to 100,000 drivers needed by 2023 — which is rapidly approaching,” McManus said.
In the midst of the infamous driver shortage, companies are still scrambling to employ more drivers, making companies like KJ Media more relevant now than ever. McManus believes it starts with educating people about the industry and how it works as well as working toward bringing the younger generation to the industry. This led to using mainstream media.
“This is not being talked about by those outside of the industry. As a whole, we have to look at how to bring in the younger generation of drivers,” McManus said. “It starts with building good relationships and getting these companies’ stories and brands out there in the mainstream media. I want to help my clients fill their trucks, but I also want to help younger generations understand the value and the importance of the trucking industry.”
McManus also wants people outside the industry to know that it is more than just driving a truck. The industry offers a variety of well-paid opportunities to move around and up — including dispatching, operations and many more roles that do not require a college education.
“There is quite a bit of opportunity that doesn’t get talked about or the mainstream media doesn’t know yet, and we want to talk about it,” McManus said.
According to McManus, the company partners with customers by taking a holistic approach — looking at how to set them apart from the competition, positioning them as the employers of choice and then delivering the most qualified prospects.
“We measure success by the quality of leads and number of hires. We dive deeper and look at things like what the company is offering, their technology, hiring processes and location,” McManus said. “We are looking for what’s going to push drivers to sign on and work with your company, and more than that — stay. If our clients are successful, we’re successful.”
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