NRSPP Case Study: Alex Fraser and Hanson Group Australia
Driven Women, Women Drivers:
Creating a safe environment to access an untapped resource.

Synopsis

Finding truck drivers to fill vacancies is a longstanding issue impacting transport and other industries across Australia and the world. When two well-known transport names joined forces to actively recruit women to fill those vacancies – working to change perceptions of male-dominated industries at the same time– they found a motivated, capable and safe workforce that has driven internal and external benefits for the businesses while helping to address truck driver shortages.

Key Outcomes

  • Proactively recruiting and training women to be truck drivers is helping transport and other industries fill longstanding vacancies.
  • There is a capable and motivated workforce willing to take up truck driver and other roles in traditionally male-dominated industries if we broaden our potential recruitment pool.
  • Providing the opportunity and proper training to women will attract high numbers of skilled women to fill truck driver and other roles.
  • To be successful, companies need to ‘walk the talk’, from updating the language used in recruitment ads to providing real employment opportunities after training.
  • Upgrading amenities and implementing other simple measures to create a welcoming and safe environment for women drivers will increase retention (as it does for all drivers).
  • Any external or internal resistance is quickly overcome when women ‘prove’ they are capable of doing the job they are employed for.
  • Increasing diversity in your workforce drives internal culture benefits and is positively received by clients, customers and the wider industry.