5 Things To Consider When Hiring Warehouse Staff

1. What skills are you looking for?

Warehouse positions can be varied, which means that a different set of skills is required for different positions, as well as different company types. Understanding what role you are looking to fill and the skills required to do it to a high standard is important. 

These skills will need to be provided as part of a detailed job description, helping you to attract relevant candidates. Skills for warehouse positions could include:

• Drivers license
• Data entry skills
• Basic IT skills
• Safety training
• Working as part of a team
• Communication skills
• Resource management skills

Depending on the level of the position, other skills may be required also, such as management experience.

Listing these skills not only tells potential applicants more about the position and company, it also gives those reviewing applications a checklist to work from. This can make the recruitment process easier and ensure that suitable applicants can be identified for the next stage.       

2. Do you need temporary or permanent staff?

Is your staff shortage due to a seasonal increased workload that will likely die off in a few months or is it due to other staff members leaving or an expansion of your business? Understanding this will help you decide on whether you need temporary or permanent staff. 

If the workload is increasing or is likely to increase due to seasonality, such as Christmas, it can work out better to hire temporary workers, especially for low-level roles. You can do this through a temp agency, which offers a number of benefits. 

For starters, hiring through a temp agency means the employees do not work directly for you so you don’t need to provide benefits. You can also set up on-the-job training for them by utilising the skills and experience of your permanent staff. This saves you both money and time, as well as lets you see how they work in the instance that you may have a permanent position available down the line. 

If you need permanent staff, this will require a recruitment process as you want to ensure you hire the right people and offer the best benefits to retain talent long-term.

3. What financial incentives can you provide?

When it comes to attracting the right applicants, financial incentives can play a big role. Showcasing that your warehouse is well-financed helps to show potential applicants that the overall operation is stable, which in turn shows that there is a greater level of job security. 

Financial incentives can create a better work environment where people are happier, work harder and stay with your company for a longer period. Increasing job satisfaction reduces the need for regular recruitment and also helps staff to move up within the company, further improving loyalty. 

Incentives you may want to consider offering and including in job descriptions may include:

• Staff resources and consumables (such as social spaces)
• On and off the job training
• Room for promotion
• Seasonal or annual bonuses

You also need to consider the costs that are involved in creating and maintaining a high-quality work environment, as these will further help you to attract qualified warehouse workers.

4. What red flags should you look for?

While applicants will be looking for red flags about the job and your company, you also need to think about what could indicate that someone is not the right fit for the warehouse position you are hiring for. 

Ideally, you want to hire someone who fits with the workplace culture, works hard and is reliable, as they are more likely to stick around for longer. Hiring someone who is likely to only be at the company for a few months doesn’t make business sense and will end up costing you more time and money as recruitment will need to start again. 

Red flags can be shown on a CV and at the interview stage so everyone involved in the recruitment process needs to know what to look out for. Some potential red flags could be:

• Lots of jobs in a short space of time if not hired as a temporary worker
• A lack of references
• A history of safety-related incidents
• A history of unexplained absences
• A reluctance to form inter-team relationships
• A reluctance to cooperate with the wider team

Taking time to check CVs and cover letters, as well as interview applicants can help ensure that recruitment is successful.

5. Could you create an employee referral scheme?

Recruitment can be time-consuming and expensive and there’s no guarantee that you’ll find suitable candidates. However, employee referral schemes can make it easier to find suitable permanent staff who are qualified and hardworking. 

Referral schemes offer current employees a bonus in exchange for referring a qualified person for a position. If the person is hired successfully, the employee who referred them then gets the bonus. This can help take pressure off the HR department and could potentially speed up the recruitment process. 

On top of these benefits, referral schemes can help add to good company culture, as employees want to work with people they like. Choosing great co-workers helps create a good work environment and can improve employee satisfaction.