Warehousing Staff Shortages

17th January, 2022

There are almost daily stories in the national press reporting on the shortage of drivers. Everyone understands the associated impact on the road haulage industry. The combination of Brexit, a worldwide pandemic, and years of deteriorating national infrastructure, such as overnight truck stops, created the perfect storm.  You can read more here: https://magnusgroup.co.uk/government-takes-action-to-help-driver-shortage/

Not just driver shortages

For Magnus Group Ltd, a truck haulage, warehousing, and freight forwarding company, the driver shortage is only one part of the story.  The staff issues within warehousing may not be getting the national press coverage of the driver shortage, but the impact on the supply chain is as significant.

The labour shortage is impacting the whole logistics sector. There is no doubt Brexit has significantly contributed: 15% of HGV drivers were EU nationals, compared to 32% of skilled warehouse operatives. Warehousing is a £20billion industry in the UK and must improve its profile to attract new people.

Skilled Workforce

“There is a misconception that warehouse operatives do not need to be skilled in their roles” explains Mark Oakley, COO of Magnus Group Ltd. “Whereas the reality is that the equipment used in warehousing requires operatives to have the necessary training, qualifications, and certificates in place for each piece of moving equipment used.”

The last two years have seen a significant increase in pressure on the supply chain. The industry was working at crisis level throughout the pandemic. With a workforce that was already lean, the impact of Brexit has taken warehousing staffing to breaking point.

“A few years ago, we could pick up the phone to an agency late afternoon one day, and know that we would have qualified staff arriving first thing the next morning. Now that just isn’t possible”, reflects Mark. “If our customers hit an unexpected peak in demand for their goods, we now have to ensure we have the levels of staffing required. That is another additional cost to us and our customers”.

Investing in people

Magnus Group believes in investing in their people. With warehouses close to the Port of Felixstowe, we are based in an area where demand for certified and qualified manual handling equipment drivers is high. Magnus has decided to take a different approach to manage its staffing levels. We recently recruited two new warehouse operatives with no qualifications, certificates, or experience: two individuals who are keen to learn, keen to work and keen to start a career in warehousing. Magnus Group is paying for the required training and qualifications whilst they learn the business.  Another warehouse operative has been upskilled allowing her to use more moving equipment and progress in the team.

“In a saturated market, we need to understand that to attract the right people. It is not just about pay,” believes Mark. “It’s about training, support, teamwork, and valuing our people which is exactly what Magnus Group believes in and does. Our warehouse team is a fantastic group of resourceful and hardworking people. We need to make sure that people see it as a great career and employment option”.

 

Magnus Group, a haulage, warehousing and freight forwarding logistics company, is based just outside Ipswich, Suffolk. The ideal location to serve the Port of Felixstowe with direct road links to the Midlands, the North and London.  If you would like to know more about our warehousing, transport or global forwarding teams call us on +44 (0) 1473836600 or email on commercial@magnusgroup.com.

We advertise our warehousing jobs in Ipswich and Felixstowe on our company website. If you would like to join our team, follow our LinkedIn company page and check out our website.

 

 

 

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