To Recruit Workers, Embrace Technology

Technology is your friend in the supply chain labor wars.

Everybody knows the problem: You can’t find enough people, you pay a lot more for the people you do find, turnover is much higher, so you’re constantly re-training.?

Now, a new report out of Modern Materials Handling suggests your workforce now considers technology investments a benefit, not a way for management to decrease employment. A whopping 92% of warehouse associates agree that tech makes warehouse work more attractive, and 83% would rather work for an enterprise that provides newer devices, according to the research from Zebra Technologies Corp.

?For years, the manufacturing/supply chain world has suffered from the image of dirty and dark factories and warehouses. But anybody who has visited a modern facility knows that they can be bright and clean places to work, full of the latest in innovation.

?To fight The Great Resignation of the past two years, take advantage of what Kyle Muhlenbeck of Adecco, quoted in Logistics Management, calls The Great Evaluation: These days, Muhlenbeck says, potential employees have the upper hand. They are looking to see if your enterprise can provide what works best for them, provides an appropriate work-life balance, and whether they want to work for you every day.

?Technology investment is even more important with the continued double-digit growth of eCommerce and our current state of broken supply chains. eCommerce takes five times more resources than replenishing inventory in retail stores. All phases of the delivery value chain, from port workers to truck drivers to warehouse workers to delivery people, are under stress.

?Embrace innovation to recruit labor at all levels. When potential employees are performing The Great Evaluation on you, make sure they see a sleek, modern operation with a workforce that uses and embraces wearables, robotics, AMRs, software, and other technology solutions.