• Safety management begins with recruiting and hiring qualified employees.

Qualification and hiring practices get the right person in the right position. Achieving that goal can involve creating job descriptions, structuring the hiring process, and developing hiring standards.

Qualification and hiring processes are especially critical when it comes to drivers. Hiring a bad driver can have a company-wide impact, on everything from safety to liability to profitability. However, effective qualification and hiring practices are critical for all positions that impact safety.

When hiring a dispatcher, safety person, technician, yard jockey, etc., a company should have a formal job description so applicants (and recruiters) know exactly what they are being hired to do. The hiring process should be backed by a strong recruiting and screening system built around the job requirements, to ensure the carrier is getting the right person into the job.