INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS
Paying for Itself
DALLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS KICKS OFF NEW SIGN-ON AND REFERRAL BONUS PROGRAMS TO SPUR BUS DRIVER RECRUITMENT
WRITTEN BY SYLVIA ARROYO
wasn’t necessarily good for Aaron Hobbs, executive director of transportation for Dallas County Schools, which provides transportation to 11 school districts through 12 service centers. He said a growing economy is luring
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school bus driver candidates away to other driving positions, or other types of jobs, that pay more and require less training, certifica- tions or responsibilities. “We found ourselves up against the wall dealing with bus driver shortages and need- ed to do something right away to entice people,” Hobbs added. Last September, his department was
short about 125 drivers, and things weren’t getting any better. Tat was a substantial number considering that Dallas County has a fleet of 1,900 buses that run more than 1,700 routes every day. Hobbs figured he would have to up the
ante somehow, so Dallas County decided to offer incentives. After receiving approval from the school board, in late November he implemented a monetary incentive program for applicants and a monetary referral pro- gram for district employees. “Te amount of money we spend to keep
turnover down, almost pays for itself,” he said. Under the new program, school bus driver
18 School Transportation News June 2013
hings are looking up in north Texas, as sales of existing homes and the student population are both on the rise. But that news
applicants receive a $250 bonus after being employed for 60 days. To sweeten the pot for applicants who already have a CDL and P and S endorsements, they receive a $500 bo- nus after 60 days of employment. Under the referral program, with the same guidelines, district employees receive the same bonus amounts as the applicants they refer.
GETTING THEM IN THE DOOR
Once the bonus programs were in effect, Hobbs conducted a 40-candidate mass interview, which he considers his specialty. Part of his process was dividing candidates into three groups: drivers with no experi- ence, a CDL only or a CDL with both P and S endorsements. After reviewing application details, each
candidate offered a self introduction to the group and explained why she or he should be hired for the job. Hobbs said he has found this public forum
interview format especially helpful. “Now they are actually interviewing
before 30 or 40 people instead of just one. For some reason, people have a tendency to reveal more things about themselves in this setting than they would during a one-on- one interview,” he explained. At the end of the mass interview, Hobbs
said all but four people continued with the driver training process. “Out of each one of my training classes, most had their CDL and they automatically
qualified for $500 in the door,” he noted. Another perk he offered to applicants was financial assistance. Dallas County paid for several applicants’ written CDL exams, which Hobbs said cost about $65 each. “It may not sound like much, but when
you’re on a budget and looking for work, that can be substantial,” he said, adding that the average age of the applicants was 35. Some were retired drivers. Te bonus programs have been helpful
in recruiting drivers. At press time, Hobbs said he was short about 19 drivers, which he called “a drop in the bucket.” Since then, he hired another 25 drivers. Dallas County also hired a human re-
sources staff member whose sole, permanent job is recruiting bus drivers. Part of these efforts include active participation at com- munity job fairs and other events. But these efforts don’t mean that Hobbs
is slowing down for the upcoming school year. He said the big push for those drivers begin this month. In the meantime, to get a better idea of what a school bus driver applicant is looking for in a job, Hobbs meets with a focus group of Dallas County drivers each week for out-of-the-box sessions on what it takes to retain a driver. “I want to hear from them what makes them want to stay and what makes them want to walk in the door in the first place,” he said.
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