First impressions work both ways. While you're assessing candidates during interviews, they're also assessing you.
83% of candidates say a negative interview experience can cause them to reject a role or company they once liked, and 46% believe their time is not respected by employers during interviews.
In competitive markets like logistics and freight, where freight forwarders have options, a poor candidate experience doesn't just cost you a single hire; it also damages your employer brand and makes future recruitment more difficult.
The good news? Most improvements are straightforward to implement when the right process is followed.
Why Candidate Experience Matters
When a candidate has a negative interview experience, they may share their impressions with professional peers or post reviews online. In close-knit sectors such as transport and warehousing, this can irreparably damage your business's reputation.
Beyond reputation, there's a direct commercial impact. Candidates who feel respected and valued are more likely to accept offers.
Studies show that employees who had an exceptional candidate experience at their current company are 3.2 times as likely to strongly agree they are connected to their organisation’s culture. Poor experiences also lead to last-minute withdrawals. Candidates may accept the role but continue job hunting, or decline your offer when a competitor provides a better experience, leaving you back at square one.
Common Reasons Candidates Disengage
Understanding where things typically go wrong helps you avoid the same pitfalls. Some of the most common issues we encounter include:
Unclear or inconsistent communication
Weak communication creates immediate doubt. When candidates don't know what to expect, how many stages there are, or who they'll be meeting, they feel unprepared and undervalued. Similarly, when timelines slip or promised follow-ups don't materialise, candidates assume you're either disorganised or not interested.
Poorly structured interviews waste everyone's time:
- Candidates attend three separate interviews, each with different people asking identical questions. Studies show 64% of candidates think more than two interview stages are unnecessary.
- Repetitive questions that could have been consolidated into a single conversation
- No explained purpose or progression between interview stages
Unprepared interviewers send a negative message about your company culture:
- Checking emails or taking phone calls during the interview
- Arriving late without apology or acknowledgement
- Asking questions that could have been answered by reading the application
- Showing little enthusiasm or engagement with the candidate's responses
Set clear expectations from the start
Before anyone steps into an interview room or joins a video call, they should know exactly what to expect. This means outlining:
- The interview structure and format (phone, video, in-person)
- How many stages are involved, and what each stage will cover
- Who they'll meet at each stage and their roles
- Roughly how long the process will take from start to finish
- Any assessments, presentations, or practical tasks required
A short email that covers these points significantly improves candidate confidence. When candidates know what to expect, they can prepare and approach each stage with clarity rather than anxiety.
Structure Interviews Thoughtfully
Every interview should have a clear purpose. If you're running multiple stages, ensure each serves a distinct function rather than duplicating questions.
Consider structuring your process like this:
- Initial phone screen (20-30 minutes) – Focus on motivations, availability, and basic cultural fit. Confirm the candidate meets the essential criteria before investing more time.
- First formal interview (45-60 minutes) – Explore technical skills, relevant experience, and scenario-based problem-solving. Give candidates space to ask questions about the role and company.
- Second interview (60 minutes) – Meet the wider team, discuss specific projects or challenges, and assess team dynamics. This is where cultural fit becomes clearer for both parties.
- Final stage (if needed) – Site visits, practical assessments, or senior leadership meetings. Use this only when genuinely necessary, not as a default.
Communicate Proactively and Honestly
Silence kills candidate confidence faster than almost anything else. Keep candidates informed with:
- Acknowledgement emails sent immediately after application, even if they're automated.
- Clear timelines and realistic expectations. If you say you'll respond within a week, do it. If delays occur, communicate them.
- Prompt responses to candidate questions, ideally within 24-48 hours.
If timelines shift, and they often do, our recruiters can support you by communicating with candidates before they have to ask. A quick message saying "We're running slightly behind schedule due to annual leave and will be back in touch by the end of next week" is infinitely better than radio silence.
When delivering rejections:
- Personalise the message rather than using a generic template
- Acknowledge their effort and time invested in the process
- Wish them well and leave the door open for future opportunities where appropriate
Make the Interview a Two-Way Conversation
Interviews shouldn't feel like interrogations. The best conversations happen when both parties are engaged, asking questions, and exploring whether there's a genuine fit.
Encourage candidates to ask questions throughout. When they enquire, answer honestly:
- Don't oversell the role or gloss over genuine challenges
- Be transparent about workload, expectations, and team dynamics
- Share realistic career progression examples from your organisation
- Discuss any upcoming changes that might affect the role
- Explain what success looks like in the first 90 days
Consider practical elements too:
- A logistics warehouse supervisor candidate might want to see the facility and meet potential team members
- A transport planner might appreciate understanding your systems, fleet size, and route planning tools
- An operations manager might value seeing the office environment and meeting cross-functional colleagues
Provide Meaningful Feedback When Possible
Not every unsuccessful candidate will want detailed feedback, but many do, especially those who reached later stages. Where possible, offer constructive insights:
- Be specific rather than vague – "We felt your experience was more suited to regional rather than national operations" is more helpful than "We found a better fit."
- Focus on development areas – Highlight skills or experience they could build on for similar roles in future.
- Acknowledge strengths – Balance constructive feedback with recognition of what they did well.
- Keep it professional and objective – Avoid personal comments or subjective opinions that could cause offence.
- Offer it promptly – Feedback is most valuable when it's fresh and relevant to their ongoing job search.
Small Changes, Significant Impact
Improving the candidate experience requires intention: thinking about the journey from the candidate's perspective, communicating clearly, and treating people with respect.
Quick wins you can implement immediately:
- Send confirmation emails within 24 hours of every interview stage
- Create a standard interview schedule template outlining all stages
- Brief interviewers 15 minutes before each session with the candidate's details
- Set calendar reminders to follow up with candidates on promised dates
- Allow a 5-10 minute buffer time between interviews to avoid candidates waiting
Get in Touch with a Recruitment Expert Now
At Freight Appointments, we work closely with clients to refine freight forwarding recruitment interview processes. We've seen firsthand how these adjustments improve offer acceptance rates, reduce time-to-hire, and strengthen employer reputation.
The candidates you're interviewing today might be your next top performer or a future client. How you treat them during the interview process matters, so don’t hesitate to consult with our specialists today.
