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Crafting Job Descriptions for Light Industrial and Warehouse Workers

Posted: January 31, 2020

As experienced warehouse workers eligible for retirement begin their exodus from the workforce, the skills gap continues to grow.

While there are a number of roles for light industrial and warehouse workers, including distribution, sorting, and picking and packing, it can be difficult to find candidates who aren’t already fully employed or who seek a permanent position.

To run a successful business, you need experienced, skilled candidates on your team, which means you’ll need to write accurate, appealing job descriptions to attract them. By taking an active role in crafting solid job descriptions, you can source, hire, evaluate and promote the right talent.

Here are some tips to guide you.

 

Include skills development

Candidates seeking work in the warehouse and light industrial space aren’t necessarily expecting an environment that boasts a fancy espresso machine or ping-pong table. In addition to a steady income, many want an opportunity to grow their skills or learn something new.

To attract and retain warehouse workers with the right work ethic, you’ve got to emphasize what you offer beyond the job itself. Prove your commitment to continuing education and skills development. These candidates want learning opportunities that can take them to the next level.

 

Mention opportunities for advancement

For many warehouse employees, the opportunity to shift from temporary worker to direct hire is motivating. Communicating the potential career opportunities that could stem from this role gives workers a reason to stick with the company instead of jumping to another contract job.

If you’re recruiting for a role with a low likelihood for advancement, it’s okay to make that clear. Some candidates are seeking short-term opportunities and will appreciate knowing what to expect before they invest time in the application process.

 

Highlight job requirements, qualifications and perks

Warehouse work hours can be long and start at times throughout the day. If a candidate is only available to work first shift, they don’t want to spend time applying for a packing job to later find out it’s strictly a second-shift position.

Making work-hour expectations clear helps potential candidates calculate how many hours they’ll spend working each week and whether they’ll be expected to work weekends.

Think through the job requirements each candidate must meet. These might include:

  • Valid driver’s license
  • Forklift operation certification
  • Previous experience as a warehouse worker
  • Hands-on experience with inventory and logistics software programs
  • Ability to lift and move heavy objects

Communicating the perks is another essential component of creating descriptions for light industrial and warehouse worker jobs. Make your healthcare, PTO or sick time offerings clear. Temporary employees need these details to make smart employment decisions.

 

Get in touch with an expert

Finding and deploying light industrial and warehouse workers is our business. We’re able to fill our clients’ staffing requests fast because workers want to work with us. Contact our team at Staffline to start attracting the right talent for your company.