Streamlining Operator Hiring Practices — Background Research

Key Takeaways from TWC’s Review of Existing Research on Transit Operator Hiring Practices

Across the United States, transit agencies struggle with long hiring timelines for operator positions. Months can pass between the time a jobseeker submits their initial application and the time they start paid training, leading many of the best candidates to drop out of the process and pursue other opportunities. This research brief, developed by the Transit Workforce Center, summarizes what prior research has found on the nature of the problem and potential solutions. This brief focuses primarily on fixed-route bus operators, as that occupation has experienced the most significant labor shortages in recent years, but the lessons learned can be applied to other modes, especially paratransit. 

Definitions

Average Time-to-Fill by Industry

Background on the Problem of Long Transit Operator Hiring Timelines

Glassdoor Application and Interview Ratings

Best practices

Takeaways from Other Industries Struggling with Long Hiring Timelines

Resources for Further Reading on Best Practices in Operator Hiring

Definitions

  • Time-to-hire: the average number of days that elapses between the time a candidate submits their initial job application and the time they accept a job offer 
  • Time-to-start: the average number of days between the time a candidate accepts a job offer and the time they start training 
  • Time-to-fill: the average number of days between the approval of a job requisition and a candidate accepting the job offer 

Average Time-to-Fill by Industry

Source: Workable

As depicted in the chart above, in comparable industries, time-to-fill takes several weeks. (Time-to-hire should take no longer than time-to-fill—see box on Definitions). According to LinkedIn, the average hiring process, across industries, takes 3-6 weeks; SHRM reported an average time-to-fill of 41 days across industries and company sizes. Transit agencies can benchmark their own timelines against these estimates.

Background on the Problem of Long Transit Operator Hiring Timelines

Prior research on transit industry hiring has documented that long hiring timelines, layered with multiple levels of approval processes, can lead applicants to drop out of the process in favor of employers that hire more quickly. In a recent industry survey, transit agencies reported high attrition during the hiring process. Drug and alcohol testing requirements, Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) requirements, and checks on the applicant’s criminal background and driving record all play a role in lengthening the hiring process, agencies said. The same survey found that at large agencies, one in five new hires do not show up for the first day of work, and agencies typically need more than four complete applications to get one worker in the door on the first day of work. Other research has underscored that a long time-to-hire is one of the main reasons applicants drop out of transit agency hiring processes. 

The good news is that improvement is possible. For example, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) cut its hiring process down from an average of five months to two-and-a-half. Utah Transit Authority (UTA) also cut its time-to-start from about four weeks down to one or two, which vastly improved its applicant retention rates. Best practices used by these agencies and others to speed up operator hiring timelines are elaborated in this brief.

Glassdoor Application and Interview Ratings

In addition to providing overall reviews of employers, people can report on and rate their experience with application and interview processes on Glassdoor. Unlike with employer reviews, which assume that contributors are current or former employees, application / interview responses can also come from individuals who were not hired or who did not accept a job offer. 

We evaluated reviews from several of the largest U.S. transit agencies as well as a sample of small and medium-sized agencies.

Key Themes from Glassdoor application and interview ratings
  • Many reviewers describe the process as being conducted very professionally and responsively. The format of applications and interviews varied. Many reviewers completed online applications and in-person interviews; some applied at hiring events or in-person at the agency office. 
  • Some people reported long wait times to hear back after an interview. There is significant range in reviewers’ estimates of how long the overall process took, from a few days to a few months. “It is an extensive process, it will take up to 3+ months to receive a job offer and schedule your training,” a reviewer said.  
  • Some reference long delays in hearing back from recruiters and other challenges in communicating with the agency during the application process. “This place does leave you wondering about the job. Since if you call them they never answer the phone…not a good sign.” 
  • Some also mentioned long wait times during the in-person portions of the application process (e.g. waiting to be called in for an interview). “The interview was very [dis]organized, asked to be there at 11:30 am and didn’t get interviewed till about 4:00 pm,” one reviewer wrote. A few reviewers complained about being repeatedly called back to complete additional in-person components of the process (though this was not a feature of a large number of reviews).  
  • The types of questions and assessments used varied by agency – many reviewers mentioned questions specifically about their driving habits and customer service capabilities; some also described answering more general behavioral or aptitude-based questions, as well as written tests in some locations. 

Best practices

The following best practices have been collected from a wide array of literature, including academic sources, applied research, and other web resources. The following subsections provide suggested best practices for each phase of the hiring cycle, from the job-posting phase through interviewing and testing to CDL training and beyond.

Job posting
  • List clearly the needed abilities and certifications on job descriptions and/or through screening phone calls or surveys.  
  • Review job postings regularly to make sure they’re up-to-date, concise, and absent outdated requirements that aren’t necessary for the successful execution of this specific job (physical, educational, etc.).  
  • Mention in the job description the drug and alcohol policy.  
  • Describe tasks and desired outcomes with specificity. 
  • Highlight soft skills and write postings in language that appeals to today’s jobseekers. (See the TWC Recruitment Toolkit for ideas.) 
  • Consider omitting information about criminal background checks in the job description—or make very clear what kinds of offenses are and are not problematic, and how far back the review will go. Otherwise, candidates may screen themselves out at the first notice of “background check,” not knowing that a past offense might not be considered problematic by the employer. Limit background checks to items that are relevant to the individual’s ability to successfully complete this job, so long as doing so meets legal requirements. 
The application
  • Host single-day hiring events, where operators can apply, test drive, take a drug test, interview on-site, and (if successful) leave with a conditional offer, so they can begin training right away while various checks are pending. These fairs can be made fun, with food trucks, music, etc. These can also coincide with other events in the community. 
  • Provide a phone number for tech support with the application process. 
  • Ensure there are multiple ways to apply (online, paper, etc.) 
Interviewing
  • Balance structure and informality in the interview. Structure makes sure the process is standard across applicants and promotes fairness, but some level of informality sets applicants at ease and lowers their anxiety.  
  • Behavioral interviewing, focused more on reporting of past ways of dealing with problems rather than hypothetical future scenarios, has been found to be effective.  
  • Look for caring, sensitivity, initiative, honesty, ability to cope with stress, and other “soft skills” that are more difficult to train. 
  • Hold interviews at regular times (“drop-in” interview options), in addition to scheduling interviews person by person. 
  • Train more people across the organization to conduct interviews so that applications can be processed faster. 
  • Allow an option for virtual interviews, for convenience and speed.
Testing
  • Be deliberate with skills and aptitude tests, as agencies have found mixed results as to whether tests predict good job performance and good fit for the agency. Whatever test you may be using, verify that it is actually predictive of good performance on the job.  
  • Work with vendors for drug tests, background checks, etc. that are committed to quick turnaround of results without sacrificing accuracy. Typical background checks take between two and five days, while urine drug tests usually take 24-48 hours. Digital authorization options can make the process simpler. 
  • Try to enable easy access to tests and examinations, hosting testing facilities if needed. 
CDLs
  • Provide or pay for CDL training. 
  • Honor applicants’ existing CDL medical certifications. 
  • Incorporate into the fleet some non-CDL vehicles, if applicable in local context, so that not all applicants are required to have a CDL right away.
Throughout the hiring process
  • Provide a realistic job preview during the application process and the opportunity to speak with current operators. Discuss both the challenges and benefits of the job early on and provide some scenarios they might encounter on the road. 
  • Involve unions in the hiring and screening process. 
  • Balance use of technology with a human touch: 
    • Ensure the application process feels warm and personalized, which will help applicants feel welcome and at ease in the process. 
    • Still, many technologies can be very helpful for streamlining the hiring process, and can in fact make the process even friendlier to applicants. Consider strategies like procuring applicant tracking software to house applications and integrate them with background checks, developing mobile-friendly online application platforms, enabling electronic signatures to get forms signed quickly, and automating text message notifications to let the applicant know where they stand in the hiring process.  
    • Use artificial intelligence (AI) with caution; for example, the “black box” of AI prevents managers from knowing exactly why it made the screening decisions it did. 
  • Accept applications constantly, as opposed to hiring only on specific cycles. 
  • If new hires have to wait for the start of a training class, allow them to start work immediately upon hire and give them other tasks to complete (e.g., cleaning, onboarding) while they await the start of training. 
  • Have hiring steps coincide rather than occur sequentially. 
  • Audit your process to identify bottlenecks. 

Takeaways from Other Industries Struggling with Long Hiring Timelines

Public health workforce and government

Like transit, public health has struggled with protracted hiring processes and complex administrative requirements; in government, the average time-to-hire is 204 days. Such long timelines make competing for candidates difficult. 

Key Insights
  • Increase clarity and appeal of job descriptions, including salary range 
  • Make applicant portals more user-friendly 
  • Communicate regularly with candidates throughout the hiring process 
Police

Researchers found that the amount of administrative burden placed on police officer candidates in the application process was associated with greater likelihood of dropping out during the application process. In fact, the process was so complicated that only 10% of applicants were making it to the last of the tests required at the police force under study.

Key Insights
  • Figure out what parts of the application process are legally required or predictive of success; consider dropping other components 
  • Expedite testing 
  • Make clear early in process what the eligibility criteria are 
  • Send automated message reminders to encourage applicants to complete outstanding items as soon as possible  
Air traffic control

Recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation reduced the process for hiring air traffic controllers from eight steps to five, which the Department states will shave five months off the hiring process. The Department has also expedited medical and security clearances for the most promising candidates and expanded training capacity. Other improvements include an automated qualification process, concurrent medical and security clearances, and the ability to move forward through the application process at one’s own pace, rather than having to wait for the entire applicant cohort to progress.

Resources for Further Reading on Best Practices in Operator Hiring

  • Puentes, R., Plotch, P., Eby, B., Lewis, P., Holdzkom, K., Wang, X., Nevins, D., Corbett, K. & Huber, M. (2023). Bus operator hiring practices. In Bus Operator Workforce Management: Practitioner’s Guide (pp. 40-47). Transit Cooperative Research Program. https://doi.org/10.17226/26842