Recruiting crane operators: how to find the right candidate

Whether it's the port, storage facilities or transport companies: many logistics sites are defined by cranes towering over everything else. But how do you recruit crane operators who want to reach equally great heights? In this blog we tell you everything about recruiting crane operators, including some smart tips and tricks for job marketing in logistics.

What makes a good crane operator?

Or, more specifically: what makes a crane operator good for you? Besides all the skills, knowledge and experience you'd like to see in your future colleague, what matters most is that he or she fits into your current team. You can't read that from a CV, but if you ask the right questions in the first interview, you can already learn a lot about someone's character. Let people finish talking and tell you about their hobbies, interests and previous work experience. You'll soon hear whether someone is enthusiastic, and maybe even whether this person has something in common with your current team.

Remember that a strong team achieves more than one skilled colleague. So when recruiting in logistics, think about who could all fit within your target group; that way you can recruit crane operators in a much more targeted way.

The importance of safety certifications

Working safely may well be the most important skill of all. Crane operators who handle heavy products or hazardous substances in particular carry a great deal of responsibility on their shoulders. That's why safety certificates such as a TCVT certificate (Toezicht Certificatie Verticaal Transport), a European ECOL certification (European Crane Operators License) and a VCA certificate (Veiligheid, Gezondheid en Milieu Checklist Aannemers, the Dutch safety, health and environment checklist for contractors) are crucial.

Before you start recruiting crane operators, consider how strict you want to be about this. Do candidates need to have all the required certifications already, or can they obtain certain certifications with you? If it's the latter, make sure you share that in your job marketing ads. It can be a USP and it lowers the bar slightly when recruiting crane operators, which will hopefully make your search a little easier.

Where do you find the crane operators you're looking for?

If you're looking for crane operators, you can advertise both online and offline. The advantage of online job marketing campaigns is that you can measure your results and test different ads side by side. With job marketing in logistics you can measure what works and what doesn't, and what you could change to encourage a larger audience to apply. Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are social media platforms used by many crane operators, so it can be smart to run your campaigns on these channels. This is also where you'll find latent jobseekers: people who aren't actively looking for a new job, but whom you can persuade to leave their current job for your vacancy.

Inclusion and diversity

If you want to grow and move with the times, you need to be open to inclusion and diversity. Not only is discrimination prohibited in every aspect of recruitment; you also hold yourself back with it. If you're open to a diverse workforce, you make your pool bigger: there's more choice, because there are more suitable candidates than when you rule out part of them in advance. So be open to people of different backgrounds and ages. It's precisely that diversity that brings more knowledge into your team, and that makes it appealing for crane operators to be part of it.

Recruiting crane operators creatively

Want to take a completely different approach to recruitment and selection in logistics? Then consider stepping out of your comfort zone. Creative solutions often stand out more and will therefore reach a larger audience. Think of offline campaigns at great heights, high up on buildings, for example. Or use your crane itself as a recruitment platform by hanging a long banner from it, or by inviting people to come and take a look inside the crane themselves.

Online recruitment campaigns can also have a huge reach. So use job marketing in logistics smartly. Make your ads eye-catching and unique and play with language, but make sure the content still suits your company and your target group. Need some help with this, or would you rather outsource it? Then let's take a look at it together.

Tips for job interviews and the selection process

Have you managed to attract a number of candidates for your crane operator vacancy? Great! Now it's time for the next steps in the selection process, such as the job interview. It's now up to you and your team to find out whether the candidate and your organisation are truly a match. You need to fit together well on several levels. Someone shouldn't only have the right knowledge and experience, but also fit your organisation in terms of personality, standards and values.

A big tip: look above all at whether someone has potential. Does the candidate want to learn? Is he or she enthusiastic? How much interest does this person show in the field and in your organisation? It's better to hire someone who can still be moulded a bit than someone who has already "learned it all" or is even a little stuck in their ways. Crane operators are often passionate about their trade, so make use of this in your recruitment and selection in logistics and offer them the development opportunities they deserve.

Recruiting and retaining crane operators through a strong work culture

You can put all the effort in the world into recruiting people; if they leave within a short time, all your hard work has been for nothing. So how do you retain your new talent? One way is by taking steps in your work culture and communicating it to the outside world in the right way. First think about what your current work culture looks like. Do you place a lot of value on collaboration or on efficiency? Or do you use the latest technologies and consider innovation important?

All of this can say a lot about your team. If you communicate these values externally, you're also more likely to attract someone who fits in with you. A strong work culture also keeps your employees engaged, encourages growth and creates a sense of recognition and appreciation. Definitely worth giving it some extra attention, then!