The Transport and Logistics sector in Australia has an estimated annual revenue of over $100 billion. The sector employs more than half a million people across its major sub-sectors: Road Transport, Logistics, Warehousing and Stevedoring.
Warehousing in particular provides the foundation for effective supply chain management in many industries. However, despite this warehouse staff who perform the important work of picking, packing and shipping orders are often overlooked in terms of their value and staff feel underappreciated by management, especially at a corporate level.
Transport and Logistics IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast also identifies warehousing as one area experiencing a skills shortage, with more than 80% of employer respondents reporting a skills shortage in the last 12 months.
As a result of the above, worker retention and attracting top talent are two of the difficult situations to overcome in this sector in Australia.
Here are some actionable steps you can take to create the best environment for your current and future warehousing employees
Hire thoroughly not quickly
When it comes to hiring there is a big difference between finding the right body for the job and hiring the right fit for the company. It may be time consuming hiring experienced warehouse staff but always allow enough time to do this and never settle for second best, after all your people are your best asset. A face to face interview is so important when hiring reliable warehouse staff as it provides both the candidate and the employer with an opportunity to establish if the are a good fit for each other.
Provide the bigger picture
Keep your employees informed on the latest developments in your business, how they are performing in their roles and how their performance impacts the company’s overall success. It pays to remind warehouse staff that what they are doing really matters and explain why. This will lead to a deeper level of trust and motivation. Employees should also feel free to voice their thoughts whether they be positive or negative, as this will help to create a positive work environment for all.
Manager – Employee relationships
For many employees, it is important to have a solid relationship with management. Positive relationships between managers and employees can make a huge difference to overall job satisfaction. Employees should also feel free to voice their thoughts whether they be positive or negative, as this will help to create a positive work environment for all.
Upskill
It is important to keep up to date with industry regulations and developments, and by providing your team with access to ongoing training programs you will be investing in the success of your business. Your workers will pick up valuable skills, certificates and experience which will enable them to work on more complex tasks and operate more efficiently. This will also show that you value their loyalty, making this a win-win situation for all.
TAFE NSW provide a wide range of warehousing and logistics courses. Why not see if your team might be interested?
People are motivated by money to go to work, but to stay with a company long-term it is because they are made to feel valued and appreciated. If you can do this by following the steps above then your HR process will be much smoother and less time consuming.
Reach out to Brix Projects if you would like help hiring warehouse and logistics staff in Sydney. Our teams take the hassle, cost and time out of sourcing experience warehouse staff by finding the best workers with the right fit, as when it comes to increasing satisfaction levels and sales, nothing beats making life easy for clients and releasing their most valuable asset – time!
Get in touch with Brix Projects today on 1800 621 066 or complete our contact form and one of our consultants will call you to discuss further.
