The 5 Roles You Should Consider Hiring For A Successful Mobility Business

When they’re just starting out, many company founders end up becoming expert jugglers, taking on ten roles at once. But rather than being an efficient way to get a company off the ground, piling your plate too high is a good way to let important matters fall through the cracks — or to end up with burnout.

If you’re in the process of launching a new ride sharing business, for example, you’ll of course need a team of reliable drivers at the bare minimum. But depending on how robust your operation will be from the start, as well as your service’s projected growth, there are a number of other roles you might want to consider bringing on from the get-go.

This blog post covers exactly that: the main positions to consider hiring for as you begin to grow your mobility business.

1. Drivers

This one is a no-brainer. You’ll need a good team of drivers to get a mobility service up and running!

How do you go about finding them? We just so happen to have a post all about building a strong team of ride sharing drivers. But local ads, social media ads, a solid driver referral program, and driver incentives are good places to start.

In terms of qualifications, you’ll want to double-check any regulations your jurisdiction has in place regarding who can legally drive for a ride sharing company. For instance, drivers in British Columbia are required to have a commercial driver's license. And in most regions, drivers must also be able to pass a criminal record check.

If you’re not planning on developing a company-owned fleet and will need drivers to provide their own cars, you should also include vehicle requirements in your job posting. Uber, for example, lists the following minimum requirements — but you should feel free to develop your own!

• 4-door vehicle with independently opening doors
• Good condition with no cosmetic damage
• No commercial branding
• No salvaged or rebuilt vehicles
• Pass a vehicle inspection by a licensed mechanic

While you may decide to hire customer service reps (more on that shortly!), your drivers will ultimately be the face of your company. So you should also look for drivers who you think will provide riders with a positive customer experience. Keep in mind, though, that to give drivers a sense of investment in your company, you should also give them a positive employee experience — such as fair wages and benefits.

💰 How much do drivers get paid? According to Indeed, the average hourly rate of a driver in the US is about $16.50.

Now, drivers are of course a must-have when it comes to building a mobility company. But depending on your business model, the following roles might also be necessities or nice-to-haves to keep things running smoothly.

2. Driver Manager

A driver manager is responsible for supervising drivers and fleet management. This includes:

• Hiring and training drivers
• Ensuring all new drivers have the necessary documentation
• Scheduling driver shifts, if necessary
• Driver support
• Scheduling vehicle maintenance and repair
• Ensuring regular vehicle inspections
• Managing vehicle inventory

Qualifications you might want to consider for this role are previous experience in a managerial, talent acquisition, or human resources role.

💰 How much do driver managers get paid? According to Indeed, the average salary of a driver manager in the US is about $53,000.

3. Customer Service Representative

Customer service is a crucial department of any company. If customers have questions or issues, they need to have somewhere to go or they’ll likely lose trust in your services pretty quickly. (You also want customers to have an outlet for positive feedback!)

And if your riders are more likely to book and cancel rides over the phone than through an app, then a dedicated customer service rep is a necessity. For instance, a mobility service that primarily serves retired customers typically won’t be able to rely solely on an app for trip bookings.

Customer service is often an entry-level position, but previous work experience in a call center environment is a qualification you can include as a beneficial skill in job postings.

💰 How much do customer services representatives get paid? This varies from industry to industry, but according to Indeed, the average hourly rate of a customer service rep in the US is about $15.

4. Marketing Specialist

The pandemic has been a turbulent time for ride sharing heavyweights like Uber and Lyft. In the first place, people have simply been staying home more often. Second, many riders are wary of being in close contact with strangers and have therefore avoided ride hailing and taxis.

The good news is that this opens the door for smaller ride sharing startups. Customers tend to have higher levels of trust in local brands, so with the right marketing, you can position your company as one that puts customer safety first.

But establishing a compelling brand that resonates with riders and earns their trust isn’t a piece of cake. So you might want to consider hiring a marketing specialist who can put in that leg work and ensure that your company stands out in this competitive marketplace.

When it comes to marketing, the proof is in the pudding. If you look at some of this year’s most successful up-and-coming ride sharing companies, you’ll notice that they each have a distinctive brand that sets them apart. Earth Rides, for instance, is a Nashville-based company that’s powered entirely by electric vehicles. This addresses the growing desire of customers to patron companies committed to lowering carbon emissions.

If you decide to bring a marketer onto your team, you’ll need to choose whether you want to hire someone to work in-house, or if you want to outsource these services to a freelancer or agency.

The responsibilities of a marketer might include web design, writing blog posts, and managing social media accounts. And depending on your marketing budget, you’ll also have to decide whether you want to welcome entry-level applicants or require previous marketing experience.

💰 How much do marketing specialists get paid? According to Indeed, the average salary of an in-house marketing specialist in the US is about $58,000. The cost of outsourcing varies.

5. Software Engineer

To succeed in the mobility market, you will absolutely need a professional-looking and user-friendly app that users can use to book rides.

As with marketing, you’ll have to decide whether you want to hire an in-house developer or go with a third-party agency to develop and maintain your software. We highlight the benefits of both options in this post.

However, a third option that newer companies should consider is a mobility management platform. When you work with Spare, for instance, you can typically get both a driver and rider app up and running much quicker, as you’re not slowed down building and tweaking brand new software. You also have the benefit of a team of developers and support staff at your side, leaving you free to focus on growing and scaling your business as opposed to smoothing out future technical issues that might crop up. Finally, mobility software solutions typically charge an ongoing subscription fee, making them a low-risk option because there are fewer upfront launch costs.

💰 How much do software engineers get paid? According to Indeed, the average salary of an in-house software engineer in the US is about $126,000. The cost of outsourcing varies.

For more information about how much it costs to kickstart your ride sharing services with Spare, please reach out at: hello@sparelabs.com. Or check out our ride sharing page for more information!