To kick start the project we interviewed 16 LGV drivers. They were a candid bunch, aware they could earn more money elsewhere, but also full of reasons as to why they chose to stay at DHL Parcel UK.

This, coupled with external LGV driver research, helped us to build the perfect candidate profile - career drivers for whom the open road and a great drive are all that matters. Things like changing shifts, no HO support, badly planned routes, old trucks and long hours are all frowned upon. That’s why DHL Parcel UK goes out of its way to give their drivers everything they need to enjoy the drive. Indeed, that very idea underpinned our whole campaign.

Big data was used to define the right media channels, and our three-stage strategic recruitment funnel was used to maximise engagement and ROI. Stage one, Connect, built awareness through animated adverts featuring bespoke illustrations. Stage two, Consider, kept the conversation going in different ways across social media and on their careers website which we filled with loads of rich content and LGV driver videos. Finally, stage three, Convert, used short video stings, featuring those same drivers, to re-target warm candidates and convert them into applications.

The innovative campaign, that featured innovative comms such as singing drivers on TikTok and a fully branded DHL lorry, delivered spectacular results. The average click through rate was an impressive 2.77%. And, on Facebook and programmatic, we smashed industry benchmarks, the latter delivering a cost per click £9.45 below the industry benchmark! Over 1,500 applications led to 169 offers and, the icing on the cake, a 50% drop in driver attrition company-wide.

That’s certainly one reason why this campaign went on to win Best Skills Shortage Campaign, Best Integrated Campaign and the Grand Prix award at the RMAs!