It seems like it was just the other day when there were thousands of think pieces pondering the entrance of millennials into the workforce. As an indicator of just how fast time flies, the articles clogging up the internet these days are fixated on the same issues — except now it’s those millennials who are the ones doing a fair amount of the hiring and their successors, Gen Z, causing all of the head-scratching. Well, here’s one more, albeit one that focuses solely on recruiting drivers among those freshly-minted adults.   

But first, a few striking facts about the Gen Z workforce, courtesy of our friends at driver recruitment, training and retention consultancy, Kelly Anderson Group.

Gen Z’ers are less likely to have driver’s licenses — not CDLs, mind you, actual consumer car driver’s licenses. That’s due to a number of factors:

• The cost of owning and maintaining a car is high and Gen Z adults are often weighted down by student loan debt.
• Because Gen Z is the most environmentally conscious generation to date, they want to reduce their carbon footprints, which often means eschewing driving.
• The proliferation of remote work has made them less likely to need to drive.

Of course, that creates real problems when boomer drivers (and even some Gen Xers) have aged out of the professional driving pool) and can’t be replaced fast enough.

“As Gen Z delays or opts out of obtaining drivers’ licenses, the pipeline for qualified commercial drivers shrinks, reducing the pool of potential candidates,” says Todd Cornett, vice president at Kelly Anderson Group, noting that such a reality leads to a skills gap among younger candidates.

Additionally, the same incentives that previous generations had found most appealing about driving — for instance, the freedom of the open road — doesn’t necessarily resonate as much with Gen Z. Then there’s the broke-and-in-debt factor again: the cost and time required to acquire a CDL could be a massive deterrent.

Despite all of that, there are many steps fleets can take to woo Gen Z drivers. For instance, talk about your commitment to sustainability and a greener supply chain. In addition, as this is the most tech-savvy generation, showcase how modern technologies — driver-assist tools, telematics, etc. — are modernizing life on the road.

And here’s a big one: work-life balance. Anyone who’s read a meme on any social media platform knows that it’s a bigger concern for Gen Z than for any previous age group. Offer more flexibility in schedules, allowing them to be home when it matters to them most. Also, Cornett suggests, consider developing part-time or gig-based roles that makes the transition into full-time driving careers all the more seamless.

They might also respond well to financial assistance, such as programs to subsidize CDL training costs, student loan repayment programs or even signing bonuses.

You’re also going to want to meet Gen Z’ers where they are. That means recruiting through the platforms they use most like Instagram, TikTok (reports of whose demise apparently have been greatly exaggerated), and YouTube. You’d want to leverage video content that shows drivers in their age group finding fulfillment in their careers.

Finally, he says, emphasize community. “Build a sense of belonging by fostering supportive work environments and mentorship programs,” Cornett says. “By changing in-house, old-way attitudes and thinking addressing Gen Z’s values, preferences and barriers, fleets can develop more effective recruitment strategies that attract and retain young talent in the commercial driving industry.”