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term nonprofit provider related that the right people for a Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
paratransit operator position bring customer service skills · Ability to read, write, and speak English clearly;
with them and that the ideal applicant has previous experi- · Ability to navigate the service area through the use of
ence interacting with diverse customers, including people maps and/or onboard directional equipment;
with disabilities. Often the applicant has prior work experi- · Ability to communicate effectively with passengers, pas-
ence in jobs that promote the importance of customers to the senger representatives, and system staff;
company's growth and well being. · Ability to remain calm in emergency situations and
Several survey respondents cautioned that individuals who ensure the safety of all passengers and employees; and
have experience as taxi operators or over-the-road truck · Knowledge of service area.
operators may have good driving and map reading skills but
may lack the customer relations skills that are necessary for The job descriptions provided by survey respondents and
paratransit service, a fact to keep in mind during the pre- selected agencies included the minimum responsibilities
employment screening process. described above and other duties necessary to fulfill the para-
transit vehicle operator position. Job descriptions requested
from and provided by three national paratransit contract oper-
Developing a Job Description ators also included the functional aspects of the job and the
desired behaviors of persons in the paratransit vehicle opera-
tor position. Each job description included a general summary
Key Job Description Components of the paratransit vehicle operator position, explaining both
· Essential functions,
typical working conditions and the physical demands of the job.
· Working conditions and physical demands, and
· Qualifications for a successful operator. Effective Recruiting Approaches
Paratransit providers reported that they use a variety of
methods to get maximum return on investment of their recruit-
Job descriptions that identify the essential functions of the ment resources and get the "right" mix of potential applicants.
job, as well as the working conditions and physical demands Approaches that were identified in the research and considered
of the job, help to create a realistic picture for the applicant. effective by the systems contacted include those described in
The job description should also define the job so as to attract the following paragraphs.
the most appropriate applicants for the paratransit vehicle
operator position. Best Practice: Targeted Advertising
Paratransit operator job descriptions and job announce-
One general manager gives the following scenario that gives
ments provided by survey respondents, particularly the sec-
a rationale for a more strategic approach to recruitment
tions that communicate to potential applicants the attributes
advertising:
or characteristics of a successful operator's day, were reviewed.
The content in these documents was compared to findings Upon arriving at his new assignment, he found that the divi-
from the review of literature that focused on transit and related sion had been using the same advertisement in the same publica-
industries. tion for 3 to 4 years. He decided to change publications and make
TCRP Report 127: Employee Compensation Guidelines for changes to the ad. He made it more colorful; changed the text and
Transit Providers in Rural and Small Urban Areas suggests the size of the ads, rotating between full page, half page, quarter page
ads; and put the face of a smiling operator in the ad. In the gen-
following as the minimum job requirements for a paratransit eral manager's words, this approach "prevents complacency"
vehicle operator (43): with the publication readers.
Education: The following are examples of targeted advertising
· High School diploma or equivalent. approaches designed to bring in applicants with the great-
Experience: est likelihood of success of becoming a paratransit vehicle
· Previous professional driving experience preferred but operator.
not required;
· Previous customer service experience and experience
Specific Language to Targeted Applicant Pools
working with persons with disabilities and/or senior cit-
izen groups preferred, but not required; and Seattle Personal Transit (SPT) in Seattle, WA, is operated by
· Safe driving record and clean criminal history. the nonprofit agency, Solid Ground. Figure 8-1 provides an
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Are You A People Person?
Solid Ground is seeking Paratransit Drivers to provide door to door
transportation for elderly and disabled persons. Req: ability to pass
background check, have a clean driving record for the past 5 years and be
familiar with the Seattle area. PT and FT positions paying $13.25/hr plus
benefits. CALL (206) 694-6840 for application, apply at 1501 N 45th,
Seattle or www.solid-ground.org. AA/EOE.
Figure 8-1. Sample advertisement for ADA paratransit
vehicle operators used by Seattle Personal Transit.
example of an advertisement it runs to recruit applicants. The
advertisement emphasizes that the agency is seeking applicants
who enjoy working with people and particularly older adults
and persons with disabilities. Key requirements of the job,
including a good driving record, a clean background history,
and a familiarity with the service area are listed.
Figure 8-2. Sample job advertisement used
Use of Weekly Community Newspapers by special transit, Denver, CO.
One of the ways that paratransit providers target specific
audiences is to use newspapers that tend to attract certain Marketing to Specific Geographic Areas
audiences. In Denver, CO, one provider finds a free weekly
MV Transportation in Orlando, FL, is able to get statistics
newspaper, Westword, to be its best source for getting a large
from Employment Guide, a publication it uses to advertise
number of readers who are looking for jobs in the para-
positions, which show the parts of the city from which it gets
transit vehicle operator pay range to see the ad. Westword's
the most operator applicant inquiries. This newspaper prints
description on its website touts its reputation as an alternative
a toll-free number in the company's ad rather than its direct
newspaper:
number; however, the number is linked directly to the com-
Since its purchase by New Times in 1983, Westword has grown pany. With that information, company staff is able to obtain
into one of the largest alternative weeklies in the country--even geographical information that gives the location from which
though Denver is a major battlefield in a daily newspaper war. each call originated. Management finds this to be a good tool
Every week, the new edition is eagerly snatched up in college class- for targeting ads to areas where the company wants to get an
rooms, coffeehouses, corporate offices and at the State Capitol by
increased number of applicants. Subsequently, targeted and
faithful readers who appreciate hard-hitting, award-winning
journalism. specialized advertising is distributed to those areas, rather
than the previous broad-brush advertising.
Placing advertisements in Westword is very cost-effective
and appears to appeal to those looking for work, especially Marketing to Targeted Demographics
individuals who are not likely to purchase a daily newspaper.
This contractor's ads specifically state its preference for retiree One nonprofit paratransit service company made a shift in
applicants. Management states it probably gets twice as many philosophy about how to recruit the best vehicle operator
applicants as its competitors. candidates approximately 1 year ago. The firm decided to not
A second contractor in the Denver area advertises in a recruit employees who had worked for another paratransit
weekly newspaper published by the Archdiocese of Denver to company, as these operators often bring the prior employer's
target job-hunters looking for work in the paratransit vehicle methods of operation with them, which can lead to conflict.
operator pay range. The newspaper, Denver Catholic Register, Rather than using the state employment office, community
is free to the public, has cost-effective advertising rates and is employment agencies, and other local recruitment sources,
distributed widely throughout Denver, often by homeless the company sends job announcements to local churches,
individuals. One of this contractor's advertisements, provided which it finds are filled with downsized or retired workers
as Figure 8-2, targets community/people-oriented individu- who are looking for a new career. The contractor also found
als while emphasizing its friendly, family-oriented working that many of these workers come from corporations and
environment, and communicating the requirement of pre- non-transportation positions where good customer service is
employment and random drug screens. "part of the job." It has been the company's experience that
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applicants from this group tend to possess the most impor- Some paratransit providers also reported success with tar-
tant characteristic already: the ability to work with a diverse geted recruitment of employees from the home health care and
customer base, including people with disabilities. other social service industries. These employees may be more
In carrying out this new recruitment philosophy, the com- likely to bring a customer service attitude and skills in working
pany sends a letter to various churches announcing job open- with persons with disabilities to the paratransit vehicle opera-
ings and included are descriptions and responsibilities of the tor position. One national company includes the following
job with special emphasis placed on working with elderly indi- statement in its comprehensive recruitment strategy: Active
viduals and people with disabilities. This approach resulted in and aggressive targeting of applicants who have been employed
the employment of eight operators within a short period; all at hospitals and other agencies [serving] of older adults.
eight have remained with the company for the past year. While
teaching these employees driving skills resulted in longer
Best Practice: eRecruiting and Online Applications
on-the-road training, the company has found it is worth the
investment. Recruiting and screening of paratransit vehicle operator
Other providers also reported success with recruiting indi- applicants is a time-intensive process, especially with the high
viduals who are retired and who are seeking a supplemental turnover rate that is common in many paratransit environ-
income. Older, retired employees have been reported by sev- ments. Recruiters are often required to "fast-track" the review
eral providers to be reliable and more oriented toward cus- of applications to reduce the impact of vacant positions on
tomer service. They also may be more amenable to working service delivery as quickly as possible, which can lead to a
part-time shifts and fewer hours per week. If the individual is superficial analysis of applicants' background, resulting in
receiving benefits from his/her prior job, the benefits package inadequate vetting of their fit with the requirements of the job.
offered by the paratransit provider may not be a critical con- In order to facilitate the recruitment process, organizations
cern. This is a particularly effective strategy in communities are using electronic human resources (eHR) systems. The
with significant retirement populations. Job fairs targeted to Brave New World of eHR: Human Resource Management in
older job seekers were reported in the national survey to be the Digital Age (44) describes the most common practices as:
one successful way to recruit older workers. One Denver RTD
contractor states in its advertisements that it is looking for (a) adding recruitment pages to existing organizational web-
applicants who are retired (all advertisements are placed in a sites; (b) using specialized recruitment websites (for example, job
portals, online job boards); (c) developing interactive tools for
free alternative weekly newspaper).
processing applications (for example, online applications, email
auto responding); and (d) using online screening techniques (for
example, keyword systems, online interviews or personality assess-
ments). The advantages of eRecruiting include the ability to man-
Recruiting Tips age responses, track applicants, identify candidates, maintain hir-
ing records in a single organized place, and assist with compliance
· Consider seeking applicants from among
reporting requirements.
retirees and other older individuals and/or
individuals with experience in the health care One private paratransit provider described the advantages
or other social service industries. of using its online application process:
· Utilize churches or other religious organiza-
tions, job fairs for older workers, and ads in [A] paperless application process achieves three things: lowers
alternative newspapers to make contact with cost of advertisements; encourages a larger pool of applicants;
these target groups of potential applicants. and applicants can complete the application online, at home, or
· Hire based on attitude and teach driving skills. by coming to company locations.
Research completed for TCRP Report 77: Managing Tran-
sit's Workforce in the New Millennium (27), found eRecruiting
One factor to consider in recruiting older workers is that to be a best practice for making it easy for potential applicants
they may be more sensitive to work shifts that do not match to conduct job searches on the Internet to apply for online jobs
their lifestyles. While they may appreciate part-time shifts at the Washington Area Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
(e.g., 45 hours per day), they may not be seeking or willing (WMATA). WMATA tracks the number of resumes received,
to accept evening or weekend shifts. If the managers become number of interviews conducted, and number of hires with
more effective in recruiting older workers, they may find it each recruitment. Each application has a number code that
beneficial to create part-time work for these operators rather alerts staff as to which medium was used to acquire the
than to rely too heavily on split shifts. application.
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Several transit systems reported using Internet resources to · Referring employees receive $125 when the new hire com-
attract paratransit operator applicants. For instance, Greater pletes training and another $125 when the new operator
Lynn Senior Services, Inc., in Lynn, MA, uses Craigslist, a cen- completes 90 days on the job. There is no limit on the
tralized network of online communities, featuring inexpensive number of referral bonuses that an employee can receive.
online classified advertising in a number of categories, includ- · Referring employees are paid a bonus of $50 once the new
ing a section for jobs. hire completes 6 months of employment.
· Employees earn a $25 bonus if a referred applicant is hired
and successfully completes 3 months of service. In this
Employee Referral Bonuses
agency, over a 12-month period (May 2008May 2009),
Employee referral bonuses can be an effective way to recruit 42 percent of new hires were referred by current or past
qualified vehicle operator candidates. Referral bonuses build employees.
on "word-of-mouth" recruiting, which was identified in the
focus group discussions as a major, and perhaps underappre- Research completed for TCRP Report 77: Managing Tran-
ciated, source of job candidates. sit's Workforce in the New Millennium found employee refer-
ral programs to encourage internal recruitment to be a best
practice within the transit industry. The study report included
five examples of referral programs designed and implemented
Existing Operators Can Be the by transit agencies. While the amounts of payment differ from
Best Employment Ads agency to agency, the concepts of how to make the program
meaningful are the same. For instance, in each case the pro-
Current employees who are satisfied with their
grams are designed in multi-phased bonus formats with the
jobs are natural recruiters for paratransit opera-
referring employee receiving two or more payments as the
tor positions. Employee referral bonus programs new hire reaches specific employment milestones.
encourage referrals of potential applicants by
existing employees.
Hiring Bonuses
One national survey respondent, Global Transportation in
Various versions of formal employee referral programs Denver, CO, reported that it began offering a $250 hiring
bonus to increase the number of qualified vehicle operator
were reported by private paratransit companies and transit
candidates. The company noted that this hiring bonus offset
agencies. The following are a number of employee referral
a relatively low $7.00 per hour training wage (2008) and
programs discovered during this study:
improved the training completion rate as well as recruitment
efforts. The hiring bonus effectively increased the training
· $300 is paid to current employees if both the referring
wage by about $3.00 per hour.
employee and the new hire are still employed by the organi-
zation after 6 months.
· Referring employees are eligible for an unlimited number Best Practice: Comprehensive
of $250 referral bonuses if they refer an applicant who Recruitment Strategies
remains employed as an operator for more than 90 days.
Described in the following paragraphs are the comprehen-
· Referring employees are awarded $150 if the new employee
sive recruitment strategies being used by a nonprofit paratran-
successfully completes six months of employment and
sit provider and a national provider of contract paratransit
an additional $250 after the new employee's first year of
services, which incorporate many of the best practices men-
employment. tioned in the previous sections.
· Referring employees receive a $150 bonus after the new
employee has been on board 90 days and $150 after 6 months A Nonprofit Agency. As mentioned previously, Seattle
of employment. The referred employee--the new hire-- Personal Transit (SPT) is a transportation program of the
also receives the bonuses. nonprofit organization Solid Ground, an agency that provides
· A bonus of $150 is paid to the referring employee after the a number of human services to individuals in King County,
new operator completes 6 months on the job. Washington. SPT uses a variety of methods to recruit employ-
· The referring employee receives $100 if the new hire ees. Some recruitment approaches, such as newspaper ads, are
remains for more than 4 months and another $100 if both fairly traditional; others, such as web-based advertising, are
the referring employee and the new operator are employed nontraditional. The organization employs approximately 140
with the organization for more than 12 months. paratransit operators and in 2008 maintained an employee
