Partnership Provides Innovative Hiring Solution
Texas - Partnership Provides Innovative Hiring Solution
Workforce Innovation Submitted By: Workforce Solutions: Dallas
Community Challenge/Problem
In 2016, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) partnered with Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas (WFSDallas) to address its significant challenge in recruiting and hiring qualified talent as entry level bus drivers. Its talent resource gap was widening as entry level drivers were being promoted. WFSDallas staff helped the Human Resource Division analyze their recruitment/retention barriers which was causing a 95% loss rate from application to hire. These included both institutional barriers and lack of job seeker preparedness:
• 27% of applicants had failed the behavioral assessment.
• A significant number of applicants were failing the Department of Transportation physical, drug test and background checks.
• A majority of applicants were failing the assessment necessary to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Passenger Endorsement Permit.
• The agency lacked adequate space for conducting mass assessments and interviews.
• DART was also struggling to attract veterans in numbers necessary to meet their veterans hiring goals.
Board Solution/Innovation
Tim Newby, DART Vice President of Transportation, described the challenges and actions taken: “DART had been struggling for more than a year to attract and retain adequate numbers of qualified applicants for its SmartBus Operator position. Workforce Solutions brought together a team that included partners from Dallas County Community College District and the Texas Veterans Commission to work with DART’s Transportation and Human Capital staff to develop creative business solutions to address this Issue. As a result of new processes and tools that have been put into place, DART has experienced a 150% increase in the number of new bus operators who have been hired. We continue to build our partnership with Workforce Solutions to help us focus on recruiting and development issues relative to other front-line positions.” Specific strategies included the following:
• To address recruitment challenges, WFSDallas identified an alternative assessment to that used by DART that focused on the actual skills necessary for job success. Proctored by Workforce staff, 510 individuals were assessed. 89.2% of applicants passed the assessment which increased the pass rate by 16%.
• To improve the quality of the applicant pool, WFSDallas used expert staff to provide additional applicant screening which reduced the number of unqualified applicants who would be lost due to failing the physical, drug test, or background check. This step enabled DART to improve the quality of its applicant pool with a contingent hiring rate of 93%.
• To address literacy gaps, WFSDallas partnered with the Texas Department of Public Safety and Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) to create a workplace literacy course to enhance the applicant’s ability to comprehend the necessary information needed to pass the CDL Passenger Endorsement Permit. Thus far, 89 applicants have received training in preparation of the CDL Passenger Endorsement Permit exam enabling DART to increase its Bus Driver Onboarding Training from a class average of 10 new hires per class to 25 new hires per class!
• To address inadequate facility availability, WFSDallas used a workforce center for mass assessments and interviewing. We extended business hours in the center to 10:00 PM so that Hiring Managers could meet with DART applicants resulting in 374 candidates being interviewed with 348 contingent offers.
• To fulfill DART’s commitment to meet its veteran hiring goals, WFSDallas and Texas Veterans Commission doubled efforts to refer veteran job seekers to DART for priority in hiring. Over the past 9 months, DART has hired 145 entry level Bus Operators, 15 of whom were veterans.
Outcomes & Results
Based on our success, DART and Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas have begun to expand services to two other divisions: DART Police and Station Concierge. Recruitment and assessment services are now being provided for the Station Concierge applicants and DART Police are working with DCCCD to begin a preparatory class to improve candidate readiness to meet police requirements. In addition, as part of our commitment to Dallas employers, our Business Solutions Team is working with DART’s Innovative Services Team, to help educate local employers on the various transportation opportunities available to them and their staff, even if a current bus or train route is not available. Employers continue to look for innovative ways to attract talent in the Dallas market, so the opportunity to engage in programs such as Ridesharing and Vanpools can be the difference in meeting their staffing needs. Tim Newby, DART Vice President of Transportation said “DART had been struggling for more than a year to attract and retain adequate numbers of qualified applicants for its SmartBus Operator position. Workforce Solutions brought together a team that included partners from Dallas County Community College District and the Texas Veterans Commission to work with DART’s Transportation and Human Capital staff to develop creative business solutions to address this issue. As a result of new processes and tools that have been put into place, DART has experienced a 150% increase in the number of new bus operators that have been hired. We continue to build our partnership with Workforce Solutions to help us focus on recruiting and development issues relative to other front-line positions.”
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