In 2025, recruiters compete on trust as much as pay. This case study shows how one legacy logistics firm replaced generic job ads with video recruiting that made candidates feel seen, not screened. You’ll see the strategy, the production choices, and the results that mattered—applications, quality, and retention. Ready to see what changed when real people finally took the spotlight?
Employer branding video strategy: Turning an old reputation into a clear promise
The company in this case study—an established regional logistics provider with decades of history—faced a modern problem: plenty of name recognition, but low emotional connection with job seekers. Candidates associated the brand with “warehouse work” and “trucking schedules,” not with career growth, safety, or pride in service. The recruiting team also heard the same feedback in interviews: applicants didn’t understand what the day-to-day felt like until after they accepted an offer.
Leadership aligned on a simple goal: humanize recruiting without overselling. That meant building a repeatable video program that would:
- Show real work in real facilities, with real constraints and standards.
- Explain roles plainly so candidates could self-select with confidence.
- Highlight respect and safety as non-negotiables, not “nice-to-haves.”
- Make managers visible so candidates could judge leadership style before applying.
They started by auditing every candidate touchpoint: the careers page, job descriptions, application forms, automated emails, and interview scheduling. The main gaps were consistent: too much corporate language, too few faces, and no evidence of what the company was like on a typical Tuesday. The video plan was designed to fill those gaps—not to chase views for their own sake.
To avoid the common trap of producing “pretty but empty” content, the team wrote a one-page creative brief for each role family (drivers, warehouse, dispatch, maintenance, corporate). Each brief included: audience concerns (pay, schedule, safety, equipment, training), the truth they needed to hear early, and the proof points the company could show on camera.
Recruitment marketing video: The content pillars that made the message believable
The firm produced a structured set of videos instead of one brand film. That choice mattered because different candidates require different levels of detail. A single top-of-funnel video can attract attention, but it rarely answers the questions that determine whether someone applies.
They built four content pillars and mapped each to the recruiting funnel:
- “Day-in-the-life” role videos (mid-funnel): 2–3 minutes showing the shift start, key tasks, tools, pace, and what “good” looks like.
- Manager introductions (mid-funnel): 60–90 seconds focused on expectations, coaching style, and how performance is measured.
- Employee stories (top to mid-funnel): 90 seconds on why they joined, what surprised them, and what keeps them.
- Hiring process explainers (bottom-funnel): 45–60 seconds detailing steps, timelines, and how to prepare.
Each video intentionally answered candidate follow-ups inside the script. For example, in the warehouse role video, an associate explains pick rate targets, how breaks work, and what happens during peak weeks. That transparency reduced “ghosting” later because candidates were less likely to feel misled.
They also avoided jargon that hurts credibility. Instead of “dynamic environment,” they described pace. Instead of “competitive wages,” they stated pay ranges where compliant and appropriate, and they clarified differentials (nights, weekends) in plain language. When compensation details couldn’t be fully shared publicly due to internal policy, they still explained what factors influence offers.
On distribution, the team treated video as a conversion tool, not a social media experiment. They embedded the most relevant clip directly above the “Apply” button for each job family and used shorter cutdowns for social and job boards that support video. Candidates who clicked through to the job page could immediately see the longer video that answered real questions.
Authentic employee video testimonials: Building trust without scripting away the truth
Credibility was the make-or-break factor. Candidates can spot a staged testimonial quickly—especially in logistics, where many applicants have worked similar roles before. The team used a “guided interview” approach rather than handing employees scripted lines.
They selected employees and managers with three rules:
- Representation across shifts and tenure, including newer hires who still remembered onboarding clearly.
- Voluntary participation only—no pressure from supervisors.
- Role credibility: respected performers and team leads who could speak to expectations.
To ensure honesty, the interviewer asked specific questions that naturally produce useful details:
- “What did you think this job would be like, and what was different?”
- “What makes someone successful on your team in the first 30 days?”
- “What’s the hardest part of your shift, and how do you manage it?”
- “What should someone know before applying so they aren’t surprised?”
They kept imperfections that reinforced authenticity: a laugh, a pause, a moment of reflection. They also filmed in actual work areas, with safe camera positioning and clear PPE requirements. The operations leaders appreciated that the content did not glamorize shortcuts. Safety and compliance stayed visible, which helped reinforce the employer’s standards to candidates.
To protect employees and the company, HR reviewed final cuts for privacy, policy alignment, and confidentiality (customer names, shipment details, proprietary systems). That review was framed as risk management, not message control. The final videos still sounded like humans, not press releases.
Hiring video content production: How they kept quality high without a big budget
Legacy firms often assume video requires agency-level spend to look professional. This team proved the opposite: consistency and clarity beat cinematic polish. They chose a lightweight production model that could scale across locations.
Key production decisions included:
- Batch filming: two shoot days per location captured multiple roles, intros, and B-roll.
- Simple set-ups: one primary camera, a secondary angle for edits, and reliable audio with lav mics.
- Natural light plus minimal lighting to keep the environment realistic.
- On-screen prompts instead of memorized lines to reduce anxiety and speed up takes.
They created a standard template for every role video so candidates could compare roles easily. Each video followed the same flow: what the role supports, shift structure, core tasks, tools/equipment, performance expectations, training, and what the team values.
They also made accessibility non-negotiable. Every video shipped with accurate captions, and the careers page included a short text summary beneath the embed. This helped candidates who prefer to skim, candidates with hearing impairments, and candidates watching on mobile without sound.
Because logistics roles often attract multilingual candidates, the team prioritized clear, steady speech and avoided idioms. Where the local labor market required it, they produced a Spanish-captioned version of the highest-volume roles and ensured recruiters could route candidates to the right assets.
Finally, they planned for maintenance. The team established a quarterly review cadence tied to operational changes: new equipment, schedule updates, policy adjustments, or onboarding revisions. When reality changes, video must change too—or it starts to erode trust.
Talent acquisition metrics: What improved, what didn’t, and what they did next
The firm measured outcomes with practical recruiting metrics, not vanity views. Before launch, they set baseline numbers from their ATS and site analytics and defined what “success” looked like for each role family.
They tracked:
- Career site conversion rate: visits to completed applications.
- Qualified applicant rate: applicants who met minimum requirements.
- Interview show rate: scheduled interviews that actually happened.
- Time to fill for high-volume roles.
- Early retention indicators: first-30 and first-90-day turnover.
What improved first was clarity. Candidates arrived to interviews with fewer basic questions and more role-specific ones. Recruiters reported spending less time explaining schedules and more time assessing fit. The interview show rate rose notably for roles where the “hiring process explainer” was added to confirmation emails, because candidates understood timelines, what documents to bring, and what the interview would cover.
Quality also improved, but unevenly. Warehouse and dispatch roles saw a stronger lift in qualified applicants than driver roles. The team traced this to one insight: driver candidates cared deeply about equipment, route predictability, and home time. Their initial driver video focused too much on company culture and not enough on operational details. They reshot the driver content to include equipment walkarounds, realistic route types, and a clear explanation of scheduling practices.
Early retention trends moved in the right direction where the videos included “what’s hard about this job.” Candidates who accepted offers were less surprised by pace, weather exposure, or peak-season intensity. That “pre-hire realism” reduced quick quits—an outcome that matters more than high applicant volume.
They also learned what didn’t move the needle: a general brand montage posted to social channels without being connected to job pages. It earned some engagement but didn’t materially change applications. The fix was simple: every top-of-funnel clip ended with a direct path to the relevant role page, and the role page answered the next questions immediately.
To strengthen EEAT across channels, the company ensured every video and page clearly identified:
- Who is speaking (name, role, location) so candidates can judge relevance.
- What the job entails with concrete examples rather than claims.
- How hiring works with steps, timelines, and expectations.
- How the company supports performance through training and supervision.
FAQs
What types of recruiting videos work best for logistics roles?
Day-in-the-life videos and manager introductions perform best because they answer practical questions: shift structure, pace, equipment, safety, and expectations. Add a short hiring-process explainer to reduce no-shows and drop-offs.
How long should recruiting videos be?
Aim for 60–90 seconds for manager intros and process explainers, and 2–3 minutes for role videos. Candidates want enough detail to decide, but they won’t sit through long, unfocused content.
Do we need professional actors or scripts?
No. Use real employees and guided interview questions. Light structure helps, but fully scripted testimonials often feel staged and reduce trust—especially for frontline hiring.
Where should we place videos for the biggest impact?
Embed the most relevant video on the job family page and near the apply button. Then use short cutdowns on social and job boards to drive candidates back to the role page where they can get full context.
How do we measure ROI from recruiting video?
Track career site conversion, qualified applicant rate, interview show rate, time to fill, and early turnover. Views alone don’t predict hiring outcomes; funnel metrics do.
What’s the biggest risk with recruiting video, and how do we avoid it?
The biggest risk is mismatch between video and reality. Keep content truthful, show real conditions, and update videos when schedules, equipment, or processes change. Transparency improves fit and protects employer reputation.
Video didn’t solve this firm’s hiring challenges by making logistics look glamorous. It worked because it made work understandable and leadership visible. By building role-specific content, using real employees, and measuring outcomes that matter, the team improved candidate clarity and reduced late-stage drop-off. The takeaway: show the job honestly, answer questions early, and let people decide with confidence.