Wonolo
Warehouse operations and HR managers spend a lot of their time recruiting staff – time that could be better spent elsewhere. The reasons they have to do so include high turnover rates, employee sickness, increased productivity demand, or employee holiday cover. For many warehouse managers, recruiting warehouse staff has simply become part of the job. However, it need not be so time intensive.
Instead of investing countless hours into reading resumes, posting job advertisements, and interviewing candidates, warehouse managers would be better served focusing on their day-to-day tasks and driving warehouse productivity. To help you successfully staff your warehouse jobs, we have put together a list of 7 expert tips.
- Create a Detailed Posting
- Be Honest About How Labor-Intensive the Job Is
- Choose Characters that Fit the Culture of Your Warehouse
- Know How to Spot Red Flags
- Automate the Staffing of Warehouse Jobs
- Make It Easy to Apply
- Encourage Employee Referrals
One of the best ways to avoid bad hires is to apply a high level of detail to your job posting. Each warehouse is unique – a machine operator in one warehouse might not necessarily be qualified to take on the role of machine operator in another warehouse. There can be variances in the level of technical skills or training required to perform a warehouse role. So, as you put together a job posting, make sure you are really detailed with the specifics of the role. Explicitly stating the daily tasks and the tools or machinery used to perform the role is one quick way to eliminate those unsuitable candidates.
2. Be Honest About How Labor-Intensive the Job Is
Warehouse managers in desperate need of a new hire might not always be as up-front as they could be about the labor demands. However, skirting around this issue is definitely not the answer and will only lead to problems further down the line as new hires quickly become disgruntled. Many warehouse jobs are labor-intensive requiring a high level of physical and even mental commitment to the role. The job posting should clearly state how strenuous the role is and this should be reinforced during the interview.
3. Choose Characters that Fit the Culture of Your Warehouse
While the resume of warehouse staff is important, you should not overlook character. If a candidate looks suitable on paper – in terms of skills and experience – they might not necessarily be a good fit for your warehouse. There is no substitute for character, so as you interview candidates you should try to assess the type of character they are and how they could potentially gel with you existing warehouse staff. Would-be suitable candidates that do not mesh with the culture of your warehouse are rarely successful.
As you look to successfully staff warehouse jobs, you should look out for red flags that can quickly highlight unsuitable candidates. Red flags for staffing warehouse jobs include things like frequent job changes, vague reasons for leaving past jobs, lengthy periods of times without working, and references that seem dubious or are not contactable.
5. Automate the Staffing of Warehouse Jobs
When it comes to successfully staffing warehouse jobs, it might be time to think outside of the box. Instead of going through all the standard procedures and processes like posting your job advertisement, evaluating resumes, holding interviews, and checking references, warehouse can use on-demand staffing platforms that automate the entire process. All you have to do with these online staffing platforms is write a quick job description and include details like pay, hours, and warehouse location. The result is warehouse managers can get back to spending time on their day-to-day tasks. Automated staffing platforms are ideal for short terms roles that need to be filled in a timely manner. Furthermore, on-demand staffing platfroms take care of things like vetting and pre-screening. Onboarding time can also be greatly reduced.
What does the application process look like for a job in your warehouse? If the process is more difficult than it needs to be then you risk eliminating suitable candidates who might lose patience with your application. For example, some warehouses might expect candidates to call or interview during regular working hours which might eliminate suitable candidates who already have a job but might like to move jobs. Another example might be if you use your website as a way for candidates to apply. If your website is poorly designed or there are too many steps involved in the process, you might lose candidates along the way.
7. Encourage Employee Referrals
Referrals are a great way to find suitable warehouse staff. With referrals, there is a great chance that the candidate has the personality and character to fit in with the rest of your staff. One way to encourage referrals is to reward employees who refer successful candidates. Starting a referral reward program can help you land those candidates that slip outside your traditional recruitment net.
