Given that labor costs are the leading expense for most warehouses across the country, it should come as no surprise that many managers seek to keep those costs at a minimum whenever possible. That goal can be difficult thanks to seasonal volume variation and other unexpected labor shortages.
In these situations, flex labor may be the answer. Managing flex workers may require additional effort to what you otherwise put in with salaried employees. With that in mind, consider our tips on how to effectively lead flex warehouse workers.
When you bring on experienced warehouse employees for flex labor, you can expect them to understand the basic safety rules and guidelines that come with warehouse work. That being said, some facilities have more pressing safety issues than others. It is therefore advisable to provide flex workers with written safety guidelines upfront to ensure they are able to perform their job safely. This could also limit expenses related to injuries and workers’ compensation claims.
One of the major hurdles of bringing on flex warehouse workers is the need to train them. While our gig workers are carefully vetted for skills, experience, and certification, there is always a learning curve when stepping into a new facility for the first time.
One of the ways you can address these challenges is by offering comprehensive training to your full-time workers. By ensuring your full-time employees can adequately cover all the positions on the warehouse floor, you can focus your flex labor on tasks that require little training.
Comprehensively trained warehouse workers can also answer any questions a flex worker might have about the job they are there to perform. In general, it is best to let flex workers focus on simple tasks and leave the complex work to your full-time employees.
Some managers shy away from giving feedback to flex workers, reasoning that their time is better spent on something other than employees who will only be there for a short time. In reality, giving feedback to flex workers could have a dramatic impact on their performance.
Giving feedback also opens a dialogue with warehouse workers who might have a more pressing or urgent issue to discuss compared to long-term employees. They could provide valuable insight into the workplace as well as unbiased critiques of what could be improved on the warehouse floor.
The quality of your flex workers matters. Hiring inexperienced or unqualified workers could not only hurt your production levels, but it could also result in accidents that cost your warehouse significant time and money.
If you are ready to work with carefully vetted flex warehouse workers, HapiGig is here to help. Our platform is designed to connect highly skilled warehouse staff with facilities that are in need of flex labor. Register as a HapiEmployer today to get one step closer to leading flex warehouse workers in your facility.