Today, Steve had the fantastic opportunity to take part in an insight day at DP World Southampton. The event featured an informative presentation covering port operations — both current processes and future developments — with a strong focus on sustainability, which clearly plays a key role in DP World’s strategy going forward.

For Steve, the highlight of the day was experiencing the heart of the action: the vessels, cranes, containers, and straddle carriers. The port tour offered a fascinating look at shipside operations and allowed him to get up close to the impressive infrastructure.

Reflecting on the day, Steve said, “It was brilliant to meet so many freight forwarders, hauliers, importers, and exporters from the Southampton area, as well as to see the excellent facilities and modern offices at DP World Southampton. I remember the old SCT building — what an improvement!” He added, “I’m a real enthusiast when it comes to shipping, freight forwarding, supply chain, and logistics, so I’ll always jump at the chance for a port tour or ship visit.”

A big thank you to everyone at DP World Southampton for hosting such a valuable and insightful event.

Steve, our Director, recently attended Multimodal at the NEC in Birmingham – the UK’s premier trade show for the shipping, logistics, and freight forwarding industries.

Actively recruiting across all levels for many of the exhibitors – from major shipping lines to independent freight forwarders and hauliers – Steve made the most of the opportunity to catch up with familiar faces. It was great to reconnect with the always-welcoming Daphne from Portico Logistics, the team at CNS, and the crew from Albacore Systems.

Reflecting on the day, Steve shared: “It was fantastic catching up with clients, former candidates we’ve placed, and long-time industry friends – from freight forwarders and shipping lines to port operators and freight tech providers. There was a genuinely upbeat energy in the room.” He added, “After a challenging couple of years for the industry, recruitment, and the wider economy, it was great to see such a strong sense of optimism and so many familiar faces.”

It was a pleasure reconnecting with some of our longstanding and highly valued clients at Seawork yesterday.

Our Director, Steve, had the opportunity to catch up with industry friends including Ross Negus from Southampton Freight Services, Jo Dixie of PSP Worldwide Logistics, and Jonathan Williams of Williams Shipping – among others.

Reflecting on the event, Steve said: “Recruitment is, and always will be, about people. While AI and technology continue to revolutionise the process and bring greater efficiency, the foundation of recruitment remains trust, authenticity, empathy – and a genuine smile. Those are things AI can’t replace (at least not yet). Looking forward to more great conversations at Multimodal next week!”

CK Hutchison is selling 80% of its global ports business, including the Port of Felixstowe, the UK’s busiest container hub, to a consortium led by BlackRock and MSC’s Terminal Investment Limited. The $22.8 billion deal covers 43 ports across 23 countries but excludes Hutchison’s shipping operations in China.

This sale is expected to bring in over $19 billion in cash, helping Hutchison restructure its investments while retaining a minority stake in its global shipping terminals. Felixstowe, a key player in UK shipping, will now be partly controlled by MSC, the world’s largest shipping company.

Hutchison sees the deal as a strategic move, providing financial flexibility while maintaining some presence in the shipping industry. Meanwhile, MSC aims to strengthen its shipping network, making Felixstowe an even more vital hub for international trade.

Felixstowe already handles nearly half of the UK’s container shipping, and this acquisition could increase investment in its infrastructure. MSC’s involvement may lead to expanded shipping routes and improved logistics, boosting the port’s global competitiveness.

The deal still needs regulatory approval before it’s finalized. If cleared, it will reshape the UK’s shipping industry and reinforce Felixstowe’s position as a leading European port.

Job hunting can be stressful, and certain employer habits make it even worse. A recent poll asking jobseekers what their biggest ick was when applying for job, conducted by Adzuna found that An overwhelming 73% of respondents voted that the lack of salary information was their biggest turnoff in job advertisements. This statistic speaks volumes about the changing expectations of today’s job seekers and the growing demand for transparency in the hiring process.

Gone are the days when job seekers accepted vague postings with little insight into pay. With easy access to salary data online, candidates today are more informed and unwilling to engage with employers who withhold compensation details. Transparency in salary isn’t just a hiring preference—it reflects broader expectations of fairness and trust in the workplace.

The Benefits of Salary Transparency

✅ Respects Candidates’ Time – Job seekers often juggle multiple applications. Knowing salary upfront helps them make informed decisions, reducing mismatched applications and streamlining hiring.

✅ Strengthens Employer Brand – Companies that share salary details are seen as more trustworthy, ethical, and aligned with modern workforce expectations. This fosters a positive reputation and attracts top talent.

✅ Boosts Applications – Data shows job ads with salary information get 2x more clicks and 6x more applications, making hiring faster and a wider pool of suitable candidates to recruit from.

Here’s some other factors that frustrates job seekers the most—and tips on how to improve them:

🚀 Vague Job Descriptions – Be clear about responsibilities, salary, and expectations. Transparency attracts the right candidates!

⏳ Slow & Unclear Hiring Processes – Long waits and poor communication turn candidates away. Keep them updated and streamline your process.

❌ Lack of Feedback – Ghosting candidates after interviews damages your reputation. A quick, polite rejection email goes a long way.

📉 Unrealistic Experience Requirements – Overly demanding criteria shrink your talent pool. Focus on skills and potential, not just past job titles.

💻 Clunky Application Systems – If it’s tedious or time-consuming, candidates will drop off. Make applying quick and easy.

A smoother, candidate-friendly hiring process means happier applicants—and better hires for you! 🚀 That’s what we are here for, the team a Blue Rocket can guide you through & manage the recruitment process for you, whether that is just the candidate attraction / advertising campaign, or the whole process from sourcing candidates through to onboarding and everything in between. We love the human element of recruitment, combined with our passion for all things shipping, logistics & freight forwarding – we are ideally placed to help you recruit your next hire, with a solution that fits your budget and not ours.

Offboarding is the process that occurs when an employee leaves a company, whether due to resignation, retirement, or termination. A structured offboarding process ensures a smooth transition, protects the company’s interests, and maintains positive relationships.

Benefits of Effective Offboarding:

1. Enhances Company Reputation: Treating departing employees with respect and professionalism can lead them to speak positively about the company, benefiting its image and aiding in future recruitment efforts.

2. Ensures Smooth Transitions: Proper offboarding minimizes disruptions by facilitating the seamless transfer of responsibilities, helping maintain productivity and team morale.

3. Facilitates Knowledge Transfer: Departing employees can share valuable insights, processes, and contacts with remaining staff, preserving essential knowledge within the company.

4. Reduces Security Risks: Revoking access to company systems and retrieving assets like laptops and ID badges prevent unauthorized access and protect sensitive information.

5. Mitigates Legal Risks: Completing necessary documentation and final payments ensures compliance with legal obligations and reduces the likelihood of disputes.

8 Steps to a Smooth Offboarding Process:

1. Communicate Openly: Inform relevant departments and team members about the employee’s departure in a timely manner to prepare for the transition.

2. Organize Knowledge Transfer: Have the departing employee document key workflows and train designated colleagues to ensure continuity.

3. Conduct an Exit Interview: Gather feedback on the employee’s experience to identify areas for improvement within the organization.

4. Handle Final Paperwork: Ensure all necessary documents are completed, and final payments are processed accurately and promptly.

5. Reclaim Company Assets: Collect all company property, such as laptops, phones, and access cards, to prevent unauthorized use.

6. Revoke Access: Work with IT to deactivate the employee’s access to systems, applications, and physical premises to maintain security.

7. Announce the Departure: Communicate the employee’s exit to the team professionally and consider organizing a farewell to acknowledge their contributions.

8. Review the Process: After completion, assess the offboarding process to identify any improvements for future departures.

Implementing a thoughtful offboarding process not only ensures a respectful farewell for departing employees but also strengthens the organisation’s culture and operational integrity.

Hiring the wrong person doesn’t just hurt your payroll—it can have a ripple effect across your entire business. A bad hire can drain resources, disrupt team morale, and set your company back in ways you might not expect.

The Hidden Costs of a Bad Hire

🔹 Lost Productivity – An underperforming employee slows down workflow and creates extra work for others.

🔹 Unhappy Staff – A bad hire can lower team morale, leading to frustration and even prompt good staff into looking for a new role and leaving the business.

🔹 Wasted Managerial Time – Time spent training, correcting mistakes, or dealing with performance issues takes managers away from higher-value tasks. Not to mention the time interviewing and managing the interview process.

🔹 Extra Hiring Costs – Reposting job ads, conducting additional interviews, and onboarding a replacement all come with a price tag.

🔹 Recruitment Fees – If you’ve paid a recruitment fee, replacing a bad hire means paying all over again if you do not have a guarantee in place or it outside of a rebate or free replacement time frame.

How to Avoid the Costly Mistake

A bad hire is expensive, but the right recruitment partner can help you avoid these pitfalls. Working with a specialist recruiter like Blue Rocket ensures you attract top talent, thoroughly vet candidates, and make the best hiring decisions the first time around.

At Blue Rocket Recruitment, we help take take the guesswork & risk out of hiring, helping you build a strong team without the costly mistakes. Recruitment is not an exact science and people will always be people, but we are here to minimise that risk and introduce experienced, committed candidates? Let’s talk. Call Steve on 023 8033 6633 or email hi@bluerocketrec.co.uk 

You’ve just handed in your resignation, and suddenly, your employer comes back with a counteroffer—more money, a better title, or improved benefits. It’s tempting, right? But before you say yes, take a step back and really think it through. Here’s why accepting a counteroffer is rarely a good idea.

1. Why Were You Looking in the First Place?

Think back to why you started job searching. Was it the lack of growth? A toxic culture? Feeling undervalued? Higher pay might temporarily mask these issues, but it won’t fix them. In most cases, the reasons you wanted to leave will still be there six months down the line.

2. It’s a Short-Term Fix for Your Employer, Not You

A counteroffer is usually a reactive move to buy time. Statistics show that most employees who accept counteroffers leave within a year anyway—either because the same frustrations resurface or because their employer starts looking for a replacement on their own terms.

3. The Trust is Broken

Your employer is making this offer not because they suddenly see your worth but because they don’t want the hassle of replacing you. If they truly valued you, they would have given you that raise or promotion before you decided to leave. The reality is, they now see you as a flight risk, and the trust in your long-term commitment is gone.

4. Your Future Could Be at Risk

Once you accept a counteroffer, your job security may actually decrease. Your employer now knows you were willing to leave, which could put you at risk if cutbacks or restructures happen. Instead of being seen as a loyal team member, you might be labelled as a retention risk.

5. The Best Move is Forward, Not Backward

You went through the effort of interviewing and securing a new role for a reason. If you were excited enough to accept that new job, why let your current employer derail your progress? The best opportunities come when you embrace change, not when you cling to familiarity out of fear.

Final Thought

A counteroffer might seem like a win in the moment, but it’s often a short-lived solution to deeper issues. If you were ready to move on, trust that instinct. The right employer won’t need a resignation letter to recognise your value.

At Blue Rocket Recruitment, we do things differently. In fact, if you’re looking for a stereotypical recruitment agency with high-pressure tactics, relentless KPIs, and a focus on quantity over quality, then we might not be the right fit for you. And we’re perfectly okay with that.

We’re not here to flood your inbox with unsuitable CVs, push candidates into roles they’re not right for, or tie you up in unnecessary contracts. We don’t believe in the outdated, transactional approach to recruitment. Instead, we focus on building relationships, fostering trust, and ensuring that every candidate we introduce is genuinely aligned with your needs.

No Hard Sell, No Gimmicks

We don’t do the hard sell. We don’t ring bells when placements are made or dance around the office celebrating hitting set targets. We don’t have meaningless KPIs that force our team to prioritise quantity over quality. Instead, we’re focused on making real, lasting connections between companies and candidates in the shipping, logistics, and maritime industries.

Quality Over Quantity

Every candidate we introduce has been pre-screened, properly briefed, and has realistic salary expectations aligned with your vacancy. We never inflate expectations, and we never try to force a bad fit just to make a placement. That’s because our team isn’t paid commission based on placements—they’re rewarded for doing a great job, ensuring client and candidate satisfaction, not just putting ‘bums on seats.’

Honest & Respectful Communication – Both Ways

We are honest and wont blow smoke up anyone’s bum. If your brief is unrealistic, we’ll tell you in a respectful way. If the salary structure is well below industry average, we’ll let you know. We are here to consult, and that means being truthful. But always in a respectful way. Likewise, if you feel we are presenting the wrong candidates, or concerned about any aspect of our service, be honest, tell us – we won’t be offended and we do everything we can to fix it. Communication is key for successful recruitment outcomes.

The Perfect Balance of Tech and Human Touch

We embrace the latest technology and candidate attraction methods, but never at the expense of the human element. Trust, transparency, and communication are at the core of what we do. Our approach combines innovative recruitment solutions with genuine relationships, ensuring that you receive the best of both worlds.

No Contracts & Nothing to Sign

We don’t believe in locking clients into restrictive contracts or long, baffling processes. Our approach is simple: we partner with companies that align with our values and genuinely need our expertise. If we don’t think we’re the right fit, we’ll tell you—because we’d rather do the right thing than just ‘win the business.’

So, Are We Right for You?

If you’re looking for a recruitment agency that prioritizes transparency, quality, and long-term relationships over quick wins and sales targets, then Blue Rocket Recruitment might just be the perfect partner for you. But if you prefer high-pressure sales tactics, relentless cold calls, and a flood of irrelevant CVs, then we’re probably not the right recruitment company for you.

Many recruitment companies and consultants will be your best friend to your face, at the same times messaging your team on LinkedIn about an opportunity with one of your competitors down the road. Or love you when they are placing candidates and earning commission, but when a placement goes wrong, someone leaves within 6 weeks, they hide behind their terms & conditions or worst still go to ground.

We’re not here to be like every other recruitment agency. We’re here to be better for both hiring companies and candidates. So much so, we’ve turned it into our tag line

Connecting outstanding candidates with great companies within Logistics – making recruitment better for everyone…

And if that resonates with you, we’d love to have a conversation.

I’m Steve Wyeth, founder & director of Blue Rocket & SDW Recruitment and you can get hold of me on 023 8033 6633 or by emailing steve.wyeth@bluerocketrec.co.uk

All the best…

Thinking about starting a career world of freight forwarding & logistics? So, what does a Freight Forwarder actually do?

Let’s break it down in a way that’s easy to digest & hopefully show you what a great diverse, challenging & rewarding industry this is to start and build a career in.

What’s a Freight Forwarder?

Think of a freight forwarder as the ultimate organiser for moving goods. They act as the middle person between companies that need to ship stuff and the companies who actually transport it. Their job is to make sure products get from point A to point B in the safest, most efficient, and cost-effective way possible.

Key Responsibilities:

• Route Planning: Figuring out the best path for shipments, considering factors like cost, speed, and the nature of the goods.
• Booking Transport: Arranging transportation via road, rail, air, or sea, depending on what’s most suitable.
• Documentation: Handling all the necessary paperwork to meet customs and insurance requirements.
• Customs Clearance: Completing Customs clearances / entries, in order to pay the relevant Duty & VAT, declare the goods for audit purposes & checking and so the cargo is free to move from the port or across the boarder.
• Negotiation: Working out the best deals for transportation and handling costs.
• Tracking Shipments: Keeping an eye on goods throughout their journey and providing updates to clients.
• Problem-Solving: Addressing any issues that pop up during transit to ensure timely delivery.

Skills You’ll Need:

• Communication: You’ll be talking to a lot of people, from clients to transport providers, so being clear and effective is key.
• Organisation: Juggling multiple shipments and deadlines requires top-notch organizational skills.
• Attention to Detail: Small errors can lead to big problems, especially with documentation.
• Problem-Solving: Things don’t always go as planned; being able to think on your feet is crucial.
• IT Skills: Familiarity with logistics software and tracking systems will be a big plus. But as a trainee, you won’t know these, but the ability to use various mainstream software packages and programmes will demonstrate your ease using various software & systems.

Getting Started:

Many companies will hire at a trainee level, so you can start in a more admin based role and get exposed to the Customs, operations & transport side, building experience and learning all the time. Alternatively, apprenticeships are a great way to earn while you learn and BIFA the industry body for the industry offer Apprenticeships in Freight Forwarding.

At Blue Rocket, we offer a FREE service to shipping, freight forwarding & logistics companies looking to hire at entry level, so do register your interest in such roles by emailing the team at hi@bluerocketrec.co.uk

Career Progression:

Starting as a freight forwarder can lead to roles like senior forwarder, shipping manager, supply chain manager & senior management / director level. The industry offers plenty of opportunities for those willing to put in the effort.

Typical Salaries:

Starting as a freight forwarder can earn around £21K, and once you progress into a more senior forwarding role you will earn around £32K-£35K with managerial roles paying around £60K. Salaries really do depend on level of responsibility and from company to company.

Final Thoughts:

Freight forwarding is a dynamic and rewarding field, perfect for those who enjoy logistics and problem-solving. If you’re organised, communicative, and up for a challenge, this could be the career path for you. The team here at Blue Rocket certainly love the industry.