Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA)

Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA)

Introduction 

GCRTA is an urban transit agency serving Cleveland and surrounding areas of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The agency directly operates bus, rail, and demand response transit services. Like many agencies, GCRTA experienced hiring challenges following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The human resources division worked to streamline processes and engaged in extensive community outreach to recruit and onboard strong candidates more consistently. 

Job Postings and Recruitment Events 

GCRTA posts job opportunities widely. A key aspect of its recruitment strategy is community engagement. GCRTA hosts recruitment events, which include in-person application opportunities, at public libraries, locations of the local community college, and in schools. The agency also recruits through its workforce development partnership with OhioMeansJobs | Cleveland-Cuyahoga County, the local workforce board. GCRTA talent acquisition staff reported that doing large job fairs and hiring events with on-site interviews made a big difference in reducing staffing shortages. Agency staff from other departments, including customer experience and operations, were cross-trained to conduct interviews in order to meet demand at these events.  

Phone Screening, Assessment, and Interview  

GCRTA also accepts applications through standard processes outside of mass hiring events. Talent acquisition staff try to reach out within 24-48 hours of receiving an application to conduct a phone screen. The main goal of the application review and phone screen is to determine if candidates meet basic requirements – candidates must be at least 19 years of age, be in possession of a high school diploma or GED, have no or minimal driving infractions, have sufficient availability including nights and weekends, and have an interest in a job focused on serving the community. Most candidates advance past this screening stage. 

Following the screening, candidates are sent a behavioral assessment electronically. This test was designed based on the specific requirements listed in the operator job description. Many of the questions are situational, asking candidates how they would respond to specific scenarios in which riders require assistance. Overall, the focus is on customer service skills. Similar questions are asked repeatedly to validate the results. The test has a fairly significant role in the vetting process, and the score required to pass was increased based on feedback from the training department. As of TWC’s interview with GCRTA staff in Spring 2026, the passing rate was about 60-70%.  

Mentor helping an operator at GCRTA
Operators at GCRTA

Assessments are graded quickly, and GCRTA staff try to set up a virtual interview as soon as the following day with applicants who passed. Interviews take about 20 minutes and there are many time slots each day as a number of staff are available to conduct interviews. GCRTA extends contingent offers to candidates who interview successfully at the end of the interview. 

Pre-Employment Screenings

Candidates who successfully interview and pass the assessment move on to a pre-employment screening phase. They are sent a DOT form and asked to return it within 24 hours. GCRTA does not use references, but does attempt to perform employment verifications for prior commercial driving experience. GCRTA’s background check vendor performs this outreach. After receiving confirmation that they are advancing in the process, candidates have 72 hours to visit a walk-in clinic to complete drug testing and a physical examination.  

Onboarding and Training 

GCRTA begins bus operator trainings weekly, alternating between cohorts of new hires with CDLs and those without, with the permit holders joining the fully licensed trainees after their additional first week of training. Typically, new hires do not have to wait more than a week to begin training. Training takes 10-12 weeks. First-year bus operators are all paired with an experienced operator as a mentor; this program is jointly led by GCRTA and ATU Local 268, with a union local officer serving as mentorship program coordinator.  

Operator mentorship program graduation at GCRTA
GCRTA operator mentorship graduation

Staff and Resources 

GCRTA has two full-time staff members who manage bus operator talent acquisition, which allows the agency to manage an application volume of about 100-300 bus operator applications per month. HR staff try to stay engaged throughout the process, for example, by attending training. This enables them to keep abreast of any challenges new hires are facing and connect them with resources, which can help to promote better retention.  

Contributing author: Doug Nevins

This page is part of TWC’s Streamlining Operator Hiring Practices research initiative aimed at documenting current transit agency hiring processes for operators and producing new resources to support agencies’ operator hiring efforts. Through background research, an industry survey, and interviews with 15 transit locations, the TWC research team has produced a series of fact sheets, briefs, and other resources focused on various aspects of the hiring process. Check out the initiative landing page to learn more about the project and to see the other resources.