Lesson 13 — Your First Week as a Recruiter
Your First Week as a Recruiter
This last lesson ties the whole course into a routine you can run on Monday morning. It is the daily rhythm of the desk — what to check first, how to work your drivers, and what a productive day looks like start to finish.
The thesis is your compass all week: move the right driver, honestly, before momentum dies.
What to check first each day
Start every day at the board in ATS2. Look first at two things:
- New — drivers who came in and have not been worked. These are the freshest and the most likely to cool off. Work them first.
- Anything you owe a follow-up — releases out, applications pending, drivers awaiting approval or orientation. These are warm; do not let them go cold.
How to work New
For each driver in New: pre-qualify (CDL-A, experience, endorsements, interest), and either move them forward or archive them with a reason. Do not let New pile up — untouched-in-New is the clearest sign momentum is dying, and it shows on your dashboard.
How to follow up
Run the follow-up cadence on anyone mid-process: a quick check, a friendly nudge, an end-of-day reminder, a next-morning touch. Keep each message short, honest, and ending with a clear next step. Use the troubleshooting cases when a driver stalls.
How to document
Write a note on every real contact as you go — who, what, what's next. Do not save documentation for the end of the day when you have forgotten the details. If it is not in ATS2, it did not happen.
What a productive day looks like
A good day, end to end: you cleared New (worked or archived, each with a reason), you ran your follow-ups so nothing warm went cold, you moved at least some qualified drivers forward, and every contact is documented. You did not chase dead leads or pad the board — you moved the right drivers, honestly, and kept momentum alive.
[Infographic: a recruiter's daily routine / what to check first — to be inserted.]
Exercise
Given a sample pipeline state (some New drivers, some releases out, one awaiting approval), plan a full first day: what you check first, the order you work things, and what you document. Your supervisor will check that you prioritize New and warm follow-ups, make qualify-or-archive calls with reasons, and document as you go.
The short version
Start at the board: work New first, then anyone you owe a follow-up. Pre-qualify and either advance or archive every New driver with a reason — never let New pile up. Run the follow-up cadence on warm drivers and use the troubleshooting cases when stuck. Document every contact as it happens. A productive day clears New, keeps warm drivers warm, moves qualified drivers forward, and is fully documented — the right drivers, moved honestly, before momentum dies.
Quiz questions for this lesson
These are the questions on this lesson’s quiz. The correct answer is marked with a check. You need 80% (4 of 5) to pass. Logging in lets you take it for a grade; the questions are shown here so you can review them with no account.
- ✓ The board in ATS2 — New drivers, and anyone you owe a follow-up
- ○ Your email only
- ○ The carrier's website
- ○ Nothing; wait for drivers to call you
- ✓ Pre-qualify, then either move them forward or archive them with a reason
- ○ Leave them in New so the board looks full
- ○ Send them straight to the carrier
- ○ Wait until they contact you
- ✓ Untouched-in-New is the clearest sign momentum is dying, and it shows on your dashboard
- ○ A full New column earns a bonus
- ○ New drivers are already seated
- ○ It does not matter how long they sit
- ✓ As you go — who, what, and what's next — not saved for end of day
- ○ Only at the end of the week
- ○ Only for placements
- ○ Only if your supervisor asks
- ✓ New cleared with reasons, follow-ups run so nothing warm went cold, qualified drivers moved forward, everything documented
- ○ As many names added as possible, qualified or not
- ○ A full board with no drivers advanced
- ○ Lots of calls but no notes