Kenzie Copeland, Senior Marketing Account Manager at drop & hook, attended Talent Acquisition Week's virtual conference for the second year in a row so drop & hook can stay ahead of the latest trends in employer branding and recruitment marketing for our clients.
The event delivered a ton of insights, but these four takeaways stood out for transportation and logistics companies:
Employer branding can't live in a silo, especially in a down market. CFOs are scrutinizing every dollar, and recruitment and marketing teams need to connect the dots between employer brand and business outcomes.
According to James Ellis, Chief Brander at Employer Brand Labs, it's not enough to say “we should get the CEO on TikTok," you need to frame it in a way that earns buy-in.
Try this instead:
"We are going to leverage our focus on a younger audience using channels they care about in a language they listen to while connecting it to our leadership. The way we achieve that is getting the CEO to go on TikTok. Here's an example of how this works.”
For companies hiring drivers or warehouse talent, this also means connecting recruitment efforts to retention goals, safety outcomes, and operational performance.
If you're not using video in your employer brand strategy, you're missing out. Anna Lippe, Director of Customer Success at Stories Incorporated, shared these powerful statistics:
Talent Acquisition Week devoted three sessions to video, and the message was clear: Skip the fluff. Employer brand videos should tell a real story. Especially in supply chain roles, where culture and day-to-day life can be difficult to explain on paper, video helps candidates see if they’ll fit in. According to Crystal Lay, CEO of GBS Worldwide, job seekers can spot performance messaging in 7 seconds. That's why authenticity is essential.
Additionally, we should be creating different video content based on where a candidate is in their lifecycle journey. A hype reel might be great for paid ads, but your careers page needs to offer a more honest look at the work, the team, and the values behind it all.
And Milimo Banji, CEO of TapIn, a Gen Z talent attraction agency, stressed the value of TikTok. Here are his top tips:
Over 70 million Gen Zers live in the U.S., and they’re entering the workforce with new expectations.
Kait Lange, VP of Customer Success at RippleMatch, shared what matters to them:
They’re digital-first, but they don’t want to be boxed into stereotypes. Gen Z wants psychological safety, communication on their terms (think texting and voice notes, not cold calls) and clear boundaries between work and life.
If you want to recruit Gen Z in the transportation and logistics industry, your brand and messaging need to meet them where they are and speak to what they care about.
One of the biggest themes of the week was that empathy should be the foundation of recruiting and employer branding. Craig Fisher, CEO of TalentNet Media, hosted an insightful session on using empathy maps to create better candidate personas. Generic recruiting messages won’t cut it, especially when drivers and warehouse candidates have very real concerns about work life balance, growth opportunities, culture, and safety.
Candidates also value inclusion. 70% of job seekers want to work for companies that invest in equal opportunity. Companies that prioritize inclusivity are 59% more innovative and 38% more profitable, making it a clear business advantage. As Jackye Clayton, Chief Talent Officer at PeoplePuzzles put it, we should be looking for "culture adds," not "culture fits."
Candidates notice when the hiring process lacks a human touch and inclusion:
AI can enhance a human-centered approach, but it should not replace it. Companies that balance empathy with smart tools will be better positioned to attract and retain talent.
Now is the time to align business objectives with employer branding, invest in videos that tell real stories (to the right people, at the right time), and put empathy first. Whether you're trying to reach experienced drivers or Gen Z warehouse applicants, the same principle applies: the more human your approach, the better your results.
Want more? Click here to learn more about Talent Acquisition Week's in-person conference, which will take place in February 2026.
At drop & hook, we help transportation and logistics companies build employer brand and recruitment marketing strategies that work for your audience and your bottom line.