Vanishing Point – Finding Warehouse Workers In The New Normal
What methods help when you can't find workers?
As we navigate through a vaccination-ramped up world, many potential workers that either had tough choices to make or were left behind are now in demand by virtually all industries. The labor pool has shrunk, and many companies are finding the acquiring of talent a massive headache. Those roles within a warehouse that would otherwise be much easier to fill are requiring effort and enticement never needed before to bring in potential employees.
Warehouse employment is at an all-time high, so how can you sell your facility as an interesting and exciting place to work at? We review some options.
Embrace emerging technologies
A facility that shows forward-thinking is a much more attractive one overall. Embracing technologies that are interesting to prospective warehouse employees expands quality candidates while also creating more efficient and safe operations within your facility. Within the material handling warehouse world, there are many options when it comes to integrating emerging technologies, such as:
- Automation/Robotics – Of course automation the standard technology with which to interest potential hires. Robotics, AS/RS and conveyor systems are all methods an operation can not only show off but reap large benefits from. Your candidates are able to view these items from the second they set foot on your floor, and they can grow and learn as the systems do the same.
- Picking Systems – Picking systems, such as pick-to-light, show your candidates an efficient and fast methodology designed to increase accuracy and delivery. They can also see how this system is part of a much larger overall operation that they can play a part in.
- Safety Systems – While not as involving or flashy, showing potential warehouse workers your facilities’ safety systems and how each one can help keep them injury-free is a great selling point. You can’t have enough safety systems, whether it’s forklift/pedestrian-related, or the latest reporting software.
Offer flexibility
Now more than ever, workers value a flexible work environment much more than previous generations. With so many choices in warehouse jobs, and how does a facility or warehouse cater to that desire?
Focus on enhancing productivity. Of course, you assume that a new hire is looking beyond the standard vacation or personal time, but it’s really about offering a work-life balance that is now viewed as something attainable and to strive for. By implementing upgraded systems such as a vertical carousel or vertical lift module, you can enhance productivity and overall efficiency while promoting a more flexible work environment for your staff. In essence, the more upgraded equipment you have in place, the greater the flexibility for employees to choose their start and finish times. Forward-thinking like that contributes toward a more worker-friendly shift schedule to allow more freedom of time off.
See more: Carousels & E-commerce: Feel it coming back againÂ
The 3PL option
Enlisting the help from a 3PL could be a solution to worker hiring/retention depending on what kind of operation you currently run or are looking at. a 3PL that you choose might have more hiring resources at their disposal, and availability to a larger pool of talent depending on their location(s). Those logistics firms that have multiple locations can cross-train and fill gaps as needed at a much faster pace (and anticipation), leading to a more solid state of employee carryover.
A 3PL will be working for you, so relying on them to get the supply chain tasks completed for your operations means they have to have the workers in place. This peace of mind could free your resources up for other future decisions that could benefit your facility and operations for both the short and long terms.
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