| By Mark M. Kukiela
It's no secret, that in a booming economy with low unemployment, all industry will be
challenged on the people side of business. Newspapers are affected particularly as we ask
delivery folds to rise earlier, provide better service and maintain the custmers they have
in their areas. Rising fuel costs have added yet another threat to an already thin labor
pool.
From contracting foot carriers to developing district managers
our task is a daunting one. So, "where to begin" may be the call of many that
search for an easy answer.
Recruiting carriers is a challenging part of any circulation
department. As the dynamics of our industry continue to shift, we need to be responbsive
to those needs and shift away from our sometimes one-track mindsets. Some keys to carrier
recruitment may seem quite simple, but many of us miss these:
· "Carrier profit" are not dirty words. Minimally,
routes should attract at least the wage of a part time job at a local fast food
establishment. As the labor pool shrinks, the fast food industry has forced its hand into
some tight pockets, and so should we. We are asking people to perform a sometimes
thankless task in often the most trying of conditions. What do they deserve? Offer sign-on
bonuses and promote carrier contests, giveaways and special recognition early and often in
the paper to show how being a carrier can be rewarding. Offer a better rate for every year
of longevity on route.
· Reach outside your comfort zone. It’s quite easy to stop
recruiting at the end of a district sales manager’s desk. Flyers go into the open
route’s bundle and a phone number is left along with a DSM’s hopes and wishes.
But that is only where it begins! Get up and get out into the community to see who’s
out there. Canvass neighborhoods, offer rewards to current carriers for prospects and
never stop promoting route delivery. Part of being a sales manager is not just selling the
newspaper, it’s selling yourself to customers and carriers.
· Avoid the warm body syndrome. As the crush of open routes begins
to occur after the Christmas tips have rolled in, or after school lets out, the task of
filling routes can be overwhelming if a district sales manager is not prepared. When all
routes are filled, that’s when recruitment of a "go to" list should begin
in earnest. The easy way out is to take some of the best carriers and give them more route
responsibility or worse yet is to contract the next person on the other end of the phone.
Without the benefit of any screening or talking face to face, DSMs can sign up carriers
quickly. But what happens to these carriers at the end of the day? Typically these
carriers last a month or less and end up causing more work for the DSM than if they had
taken their time to fill the route with a qualified candidate in the first place.
None of the above will solve all recruitment
challenges, but consistency when dealing with independent contractors will go a long way.
A focus on the basic standards of district management
should be kept close to the top of the pile in our in-baskets and the main principle of
customer service, "Never let the fact that you may have to do extra work, keep you
from doing your job," should always be remembered.
Kukiela, a member of the MDDC Circulation Committee, is
circulation director for the Herald-Mail Company in Hagerstown. |