The shipping and receiving of goods are currently one of the most active sectors in the world. This makes many people feel the desire to search for a job as a warehouse worker.
If you are physically fit and have the ability to work at a fast but efficient pace, you may be a good candidate to apply for this position.
If you want to know more about working in a warehouse then continue reading the post.
What is a warehouse worker
This refers to a person who works in the warehouse of a company. When working in a warehouse, the personnel in charge will have among their objectives the organisation and preparation of the articles, goods and supplies of the company for storage or shipment.
It is worth mentioning that working in a warehouse can be physically demanding as you will be constantly moving items in and out of the warehouse.
Another task performed by the people working in the warehouse is to record entries, which will serve to keep the company’s inventory information up to date.
Average wage for a warehouse worker
For an entry-level warehouse worker, the average annual salary is currently £16,000, whereas for a more experienced warehouse worker, the average annual salary is £24,000.
There is the case where some employers set an hourly rate of pay for shift warehouse workers, although there are also others who set up weekly or monthly pay plans.
However, depending on the skills, the level of difficulty and the work environment, the wage for a warehouse worker can vary.
In addition to salary, warehouse workers may receive other benefits such as access to health insurance, as well as paid time off and pension benefits. In case of working additional shifts or overtime these will also be paid.
And as in most employment sectors, experience constitutes a factor in a warehouse worker’s salary potential. The greater the amount of experience, the more money a warehouse worker will be paid.
In addition, a person with a basic educational qualification will have the opportunity to receive a much higher compensation as a warehouse worker than a person without an educational qualification.
Another factor that influences the salary of a warehouse worker is the sector in which he works. In that sense, if you are hired as a warehouse worker to work in a pharmaceutical or chemical storage facility, your salary will be higher than those warehouse workers who work in the retail sector, due to the high risk involved in handling these substances.
Types of warehouse workers
If you decide to search for a job as a warehouse worker, you should know that this position can be classified as follows:
Warehouse associate
As a warehouse associate, you will be responsible for all warehouse activities, from moving goods from one point to another, to tracking inventory, labelling items and preparing shipping invoices.
Warehouse loader
Under this position you will be responsible for packing goods in the warehouse so that they are then loaded into shipping containers and onto delivery trucks.
In addition, the warehouse loader has the duty to maintain the integrity of the goods during transportation, which requires packing, as well as tracking shipments from dispatch to destination.
Warehouse clerk
The warehouse clerk will be responsible for registering orders and then processing them to ensure that they are received by the appropriate customers.
Forklift operator
The person in this position is responsible for transporting inventory from one point to another in the warehouse using a forklift truck.
In addition, as a forklift operator the person will sometimes have to load and unload goods into containers or delivery trucks.
Duties of a warehouse worker
The duties and responsibilities assigned to a warehouse worker include:
Carrying out inventory records
As a warehouse assistant, you will be responsible for listing the products and supplies stored on the shelves.
In addition, you will need to record the outgoing goods from the warehouse, as well as produce a daily report to give to your supervisor.
Another thing you will need to do as a warehouse worker is to report any missing or damaged items.
Checking incoming shipments
The warehouse worker should check shipments against invoices, so that he can confirm that he is receiving the correct goods.
In addition, he should check that the items match the order details when loading the delivery trucks.
Packaging and labelling
Packing goods is another task that you, as a warehouse worker, will need to carry out ensuring that you follow the company’s guidelines for this procedure.
In addition, you will need to ensure that the goods are kept in excellent condition after wrapping has been completed.
Benefits of working as a warehouse worker
Once you have been hired as a warehouse worker, you will have several advantages. Among the most important are:
- Access to training and development programmes
- Competitive salary depending on the work you do in the warehouse.
- Temporary and permanent contracts
Skills and competencies for working in a warehouse
If you are looking for a job as a warehouse worker you should be aware that the companies offering this vacancy require a number of skills and competencies to perform this job, such as:
Interpersonal skills
The presence of these skills will help the company to determine how well you will be able to adapt to working with other people in the warehouse.
When it comes to working in a warehouse, you are required to have good communication skills so that you can collaborate effectively with the other members who work there.
You should also have good active listening skills, as this will allow you to follow instructions given to you during your working day.
Organizational skills
These determine the efficiency of the time management, strength and mental energy used to carry out the tasks as a warehouse worker.
These organizational skills also involve the order applied to the physical space assigned to you in order to favour productivity and concentration when performing your tasks as a warehouse worker and without sacrificing the quality of your production.
Technical skills
As someone who aspires to a job as a warehouse worker, you should know that it requires certain mathematical and computer skills.
In that sense, mathematics will help you to quantify inventory and track shipments. Computer skills will be useful when it comes to updating the records that make up the inventory, involving the use of various programmes such as Microsoft Excel or customer relationship management (CRM) systems.
Time management
One thing you need to be aware of is that goods warehouses operate at a fast pace and are subject to strict schedules, due to the number of shipments that are made each day.
Therefore, you must be prepared to adapt to this fast pace and keep the quality of your work at a high level.
Mechanical skills
These refer to the skills required for handling equipment and vehicles, which are important to consider when searching for a job as a warehouse worker.