Streamlining Operator Hiring Practices

New Research Initiative: Streamlining Operator Hiring Practices

TWC is launching a new research effort aimed at documenting current transit agency hiring processes for operators and producing new resources to support agencies’ operator hiring efforts. Current hiring processes are often lengthy, causing candidates to abandon the process in favor of other jobs and exacerbating transit operator shortages. This research will document examples of transit operator hiring processes, mapping typical steps and timelines, and describing the practices that lead to both shorter and longer hiring timeframes.  

This webpage will be updated as new resources become available. TWC started with an introductory brief (see link below) that reviewed prior research on operator hiring practices in the transit industry.  

Next, TWC’s Research Team is undertaking a survey of transit agencies and interviews with people involved in all facets of the operator hiring process, to get an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-practice, gather more information on success stories, and learn what challenges remain. For example, we will be gathering more information on: 

• the role of technology in expediting the hiring process 
• how agencies are identifying external testing providers that turn around results quickly but accurately 
• which steps in the hiring process typically cause delays 
• how long each step typically takes 
• what factors, identified through the hiring process, are actually predictive of candidate success in the job 
• what factors lead candidates to drop out of the hiring process 
• how agencies are communicating with applicants about the expected hiring timeline 
• how agencies are tracking improvements in their hiring process through metrics and data analysis 

Want to participate and share your story? Email sgleason@transportcenter.org to get involved.