Across North America, truck drivers are in short supply, pushing employers to get creative when it comes to finding and training new talent. According to a recent article, one trucking company is tapping into a young, tech-savvy demographic by piggybacking on the wild success of the video game “American Truck Simulator.”
In essence, the game simulates the experience of an American truck driver, taking on jobs and making deliveries across the country. With two million copies already sold worldwide, players are clearly enjoying the feel of the open road atop a 13.5 ft tall semi…or at least that’s what Schneider National is hoping for! The company recently released advertisements to appear on animated billboards within the game to entice players to level-up their game and swap the controller for a position with the company as a real truck driver.
Right now, the industry is short roughly 80,000 drivers, according to the American Trucking Association, a number that is only expected to grow in the coming years as more drivers edge closer to retirement age. Naturally, many companies are focusing their recruitment efforts on a younger demographic, especially with the CDL requirements dropping from 21 to 18. Business 101 tells us that we need to be selling where our customers are, and most 18-year-olds are – based on our own very accurate anecdotal evidence – spending a lot of their waking hours plugged into the virtual world.
With talent shortages prevalent across many industries right now, could this trend catch on? Will other companies leverage video game technology to teach preliminary skills, then poach top-scoring players as potential recruits?
At Weichert, we’re proud ever-innovators and are already in the development stage of the next viral video games, projected to take the mobility world by storm:
Call of Duty: Bank vs Mortgage Appraisers
It’s a battle against time to secure a mortgage before the bank sends interest rates soaring. Watch out for that paperwork; papercuts will only slow you down!
Temporary Minecraft
Business travelers are challenged to build their own temporary accommodations within every destination they’re assigned. Builder beware: stay within budget or face the wrath of accounting.
Roblox: Storage Wars Edition
Compete in feats of wit and strength for highly coveted units to store your stuff, or pool resources with community members to build your own storage warehouse. Fail your mission and be forced to host a garage sale.
But, is exposing players to jobs and industries in a gamified way enough to make a dent in the vast number of unfilled positions, particularly in the HHG realm? Rocko Bouris, Weichert’s VP of Global Transportation Services has his doubts:
We’ve taken Rocko’s feedback to heart and will soon be debuting our new line of Tetris-shaped packing boxes. Tell all your (ideally young and job-seeking) friends, please.
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