Key Summary
- Scope: Logistics (350+ hires per year)
- Challenge(s): High turnover in high-volume (logistics) roles & inefficient process.
- Recruitment Process Change: From leaving only a phone number to apply, to completing game-based assessments that capture competencies driving success in that particular role, with candidates instantly categorised as high, medium, or low fit.
- Result 1. Improved Matches: High-fit hires demonstrated stronger performance (45% positive ratings & 17% negative ratings) compared to low-fit hires (25% positive ratings & 59% negative ratings).
- Result 2. Improved Retention: High-fit hires had a lower attrition rate (17%) compared to low-fit hires (44%).
- Result 3. Improved Efficiency: Equalture’s fit scores enable DHL Express to focus on high-potential candidates by prioritising them for faster decisions, reducing extensive screening and resulting in a new record, where a candidate applied and was hired on the same day.
- Result 4. Improved Candidate Experience: Candidates rate the game-based experience an average of 4.2 out of 5, with a completion rate of 88%, while the games are introduced as part of the pre-screening process for everyone.
DHL Express, a global leader in logistics, faced a persistent challenge: high employee turnover in their high-volume roles, primarily logistics roles. This turnover strained operations and placed significant pressure on recruitment teams. The key question was clear: How can we identify and hire candidates who are both happy and successful in their roles?
Op top of that, DHL Express also needed to balance Candidate Experience and efficiency, given the high volume of (needed) job applications typical in their industry. Traditional hiring methods struggled to provide a process that was engaging, scalable, and effective all at once. DHL needed a smarter, fairer, and faster way to match candidates to roles.
The Challenge: Struggling to Find the Right Hiring Process
To meet their hiring demands and improve outcomes, DHL Express experimented with various recruitment methods over time:
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Process 1. CV-based applications: Initially, DHL Express relied on CVs to assess candidates. However, CVs often fail to predict success in logistics roles. The process unintentionally introduced biases, limited the talent pool, and didn’t focus on the core competencies required for the job.
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Process 2. Minimal barrier (phone number only): To attract more candidates and prevent filtering out candidates based on irrelevant insights, DHL Express shifted to a system where candidates only submitted their phone numbers. While this approach significantly increased applications, it overwhelmed recruiters with many unqualified candidates. Without a way to effectively pre-select, recruitment teams struggled to keep up.
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Current Process. Equalture’s game- based assessments: Finally, DHL Express decided to adopt Equalture’s competency-driven game-based assessments. In this customer case you’ll read about the results of this process.
Data-Driven & Gamified Recruitment with Equalture
Equalture provided DHL Express with the tools to assess candidates fairly and efficiently while also delivering an unforgettable Candidate Experience.
Identifying the Right Competencies
The foundation of DHL Express’ success with Equalture lies in understanding the competencies that drive performance in their different roles, such as Logistics Employee or Courier. Using Equalture’s Internal Benchmarking feature, where current employees are asked to complete Equalture’s games, DHL Express analysed its top-performing employees in logistics roles to identify key competencies linked to success. These insights, together with Equalture’s Industry Benchmarks, were used to build Competency Profiles (in other words: which of Equalture’s nine different games need to be completed for a particular role and how should the ideal candidate score), which became the basis for assessing candidates’ fit for logistics roles.
“First, we asked our hiring managers which competencies they considered most important. But the data from the Internal Benchmark showed that some of these competencies weren’t relevant at all. This approach makes the selection process much fairer, as we don’t overlook important factors.”
Lonneke Schagen-Eelman, Head of Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding at DHL Express
Game-Based Assessments
Equalture’s platform replaced earlier methods with an innovative, game-based approach that:
Measures cognitive and behavioural competencies directly linked to success.
Provided an engaging, 10–20 minute experience for DHL Express’candidates.
Allowed pre-selection based on fit scores (high/medium/low fit), reducing recruiter workload.
This process eliminated subjective evaluations, ensured fairness, and maintained scalability for high-volume hiring.
Results: Transforming Recruitment at DHL Express
The shift to Equalture’s competency-driven, game-based approach delivered outstanding results.
Results 1. Better Matches
Equalture’s platform assigns each candidate a fit score—categorised as high, medium, or low fit—based on their alignment with the competencies required for the role and organisational fit. DHL Express uses these scores as a key factor in their hiring decisions. While the majority of hires were high-fit candidates, some low-fit candidates were also selected, providing a clear comparison of results. The data revealed significant differences in both performance and retention between high-fit and low-fit hires, demonstrating the strong predictive accuracy of Equalture’s fit scores and their impact on creating better matches:
Stronger Performance: High-fit hires perform significantly better than low-fit hires. Only 18% of high-fit hires received a negative performance rating, and over 45% got a positive rating. For low-fit hires, 59% received a negative rating, while only 25% got a positive one. This clearly shows that fit scores are a strong predictor of job performance.
Higher Retention: High-fit hires stay at the company longer than low-fit hires. After the first few months, only 17% of high-fit hires left, compared to 44% of low-fit hires. This clearly shows that fit scores are a strong predictor of how long employees stay.
Finally, managers reported that the new hires aligned better with DHL’s culture, creating more cohesive teams and improving morale.
Result 2. Increased Recruitment Efficiency
Equalture’s fit scores allow the recruitment team at DHL Express to focus on high-potential candidates immediately, significantly improving efficiency and streamlining the hiring process. This targeted approach reduced the need for extensive initial screening, enabling recruiters to concentrate on the most promising applicants and make faster decisions. For candidates with lower fit scores, Equalture’s Talent Pooling feature automatically suggested alternative roles better suited to their competencies, ensuring no talent will get overlooked.
This enhanced efficiency led to great results, including a new record where a candidate applied in the morning and was hired by the end of the day.
Result 3. Enhanced Candidate Experience
DHL Express’ application process became more engaging and inclusive, earning high praise from candidates:
High Satisfaction Rates: Candidates rate the games an average of 4.2 out of 5, with 79% giving a score of 4 or 5 and only 1% giving a score of 1 out of 5.
Strong Completion Rates: While being introduced pre-screening, 88% of all candidates complete the games, showing high engagement.
Positive Feedback: Many candidates shared that the games offered a fun and low-stress way to showcase their abilities. Also, they stated that they appreciate the fact that DHL Express really tries to get to know them through this method.
From CVs to Competencies: A Recruitment Revolution
DHL Express’ journey from CV-based hiring to phone number applications, and finally to Equalture’s game-based assessments, highlights the power of competency-driven recruitment. By aligning their process with scientifically backed benchmarks, DHL Express achieved a hiring strategy that balances quality, efficiency, and a great candidate experience.
