Filling vacant warehouse and distribution jobs is a challenge the entire industry is facing right now. With unemployment so low, anyone in the workforce has many options on where to work. Also, local outbreaks of the pandemic further put the squeeze on available labor. Knowing how to fill your empty positions is crucial to keeping your operations running smoothly.
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Don’t Take Long
One thing that Forbes points out is that many employers are simply taking too long to onboard the people they do hire. Consider that most people looking for work are applying to anything and everything they can find, and they’ll continue doing so until they start work. It’s very possible that you can hire someone only to have them also get offered a job from someone else. Even if you said yes first if another place is willing to start them sooner, their first shift at your warehouse will be a no-show.
Offer Incentives to Your Current Team
The online age changed how people look for work, but it can also inundate them with too much information. Personal connections and social networking actually matter more in finding work than before. Offer incentives to your current team members for referrals. If they know anyone looking for work, everyone can win.
Your Standards Are Too High
Of course, you want the best people you can get. However, are your standards perhaps too high? There need to be minimum standards you can’t compromise on, but you also need to be flexible in your hiring practices, especially based on the position. If you’re looking to hire supervisors or managers, then education and experience are good qualifications. However, if you just need general floor labor, then nearly anyone physically capable of the job should do just fine.
You’re Not Flexible Enough
Are all of your vacant warehouse and distribution jobs full-time positions? You should consider adding in flexible scheduling, part-time work, and temporary or contract positions. Many people already working might want part-time income to make more money, and those who are looking for their dream job might want to work somewhere on a temporary basis in the meantime.
Look at Your Managers
If you’re struggling to fill entry-level positions in your warehouse, then you might need to look at your current managers. Bad floor managers that aren’t fun to work for might be driving people out and creating turnover that is too high. Likewise, hiring and human resources managers that aren’t effective at hiring might be missing out on a lot of potential candidates before they even get close to coming in.
Market Your Culture
Laborers in the current economy have many options about where to work, so just advertising you are hiring and offering a paycheck isn’t enough. Let them know what it’s actually like to work in your warehouse or distribution positions. Occasional scandals in this industry give everyone a bad reputation. However, if you demonstrate how you take care of your people, it can attract talent that wants to be treated fairly on top of getting a regular paycheck they can pay bills with.
Use a Staffing Agency
There are many advantages to using a service like Paterson Staffing Agency for warehouse and distribution jobs to fill your open positions. The right staffing agency might have a deep pool of potential recruits already looking for the kind of work you offer. They would likely also have the ability to go out and recruit potential candidates for you. The best would do both at the same time.
Using a staffing agency has other benefits other than just recruiting candidates. They can also handle a lot of the processes involved with onboarding new employees, ranging from background checks to tax documentation. In some cases, they can even handle orientation content and have recruits go through safety training.
Maintaining Your Staffing Is More Crucial Than Ever
Supply chain bottlenecks and issues have been happening for several years, and they may continue to sporadically pop up for some time more. It’s essential that you keep your positions filled, not just for your own company but also for the stability of the national economy.
