Bus Operator Workforce Management: Practitioner’s Guide (2023) / Chapter Skim
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Chapter 5 - Bus Operator Hiring Processes
Chapter 5 - Bus Operator Hiring Processes
Pages 40-47
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From page 40... ...
Hiring policies can provide standardization for the recruitment process, but they can also limit the transit agency's ability to adopt new approaches to hiring.119 Hiring strategies may be seen as bureaucratic or cumbersome because some transit agencies require multiple levels of approvals that can slow down the hiring process.120 5.1 Themes Many Applicants Lack an Understanding of the Bus Operator Role Selecting qualified candidates for a bus operator position can be challenging. Effective bus operators must be able to pull from different personality traits, "wear a variety of hats," and deal with different kinds of passengers.
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From page 41... ...
While there are many benefits to transparently listing job qualifications and screening applicants based on those qualifications, some specific bus operator job requirements can pose challenges for recruiting and hiring bus operators. Things like the requirement to have a CDL, drug testing requirements, or costs associated with required physicals can be challenging for otherwise promising candidates.124 For example, one stakeholder interviewee suggested that there is a need for more flexibility on things like background checks for past drug use convictions.
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From page 42... ...
However, behavioral assessments, which have been indicated as a useful tool for assessing and predicting future bus operator success, are also now being more widely utilized by transit agencies in the application process. In addition to these bus operator candidate assessments provided as choices in the survey and utilized by many transit agencies, the following responses were also listed by the survey-takers who selected "other." These include: • Assessments completed in conjunction with onboarding and training, • Background and/or criminal checks, • Customer service exams, • Customized assessments created in collaboration with a vendor, • Drug test, • Interviews only, • License only, • License verification, • Medical and physical exams, • None (no selection tests are used)
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From page 43... ...
While some may consider onboarding a part of training, onboarding is part of the hiring process where new hires learn about their role and function within their department and how it relates to the larger organization. Some initial findings in the research indicate transit agencies face challenges in onboarding and adequately preparing new bus operators for a potential range of first assignments.
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From page 44... ...
Thus, together with this vendor, the transit agency determined success factors for good bus operators and created a test that allowed the transit agency to determine the specific points at which potential trainees do not make it further through the hiring process (e.g., criminal history background check, customer service skills)
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From page 45... ...
Job benefits including compensation details, health insurance, and retirement options along with the caring culture offered at PSTA are also explained during the interview for the interviewee's comprehensive consideration. Offer CDL Permit Study Sessions Metro Transit in Minneapolis–Saint Paul noticed that many applicants were failing a screening test, even with the help of an online application assistance program, because they had difficulty answering questions about skills like map reading, customer service, and driving.129 In response, the transit agency created a series of commercial drivers' permit study sessions at community centers throughout the Twin Cities.
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From page 46... ...
Prevent the Loss of New Hires Waiting for Paid Training to Begin Some transit agencies are losing newly hired bus operators while they are waiting for paid training to begin the job. To overcome this challenge, PSTA initiated an Early Start Program, which allows new hires to begin immediately in a paid position, similar to a paid internship.
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From page 47... ...
2021. Transit Workforce Readiness Guide.
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