The COVID-19 pandemic shifted everyone to online shopping, which increased demand for warehouse workers. They’re needed to make sure all those online orders get picked, packed, and shipped out on time.
That increased demand can put considerable strain on your warehouse team. How can you avoid employee burnout on the warehouse floor? Follow some of these tips to give your team the support they need to keep delivering to your customers.
Have Enough People on Staff
It’s very tempting for employers to pull back their workforces, especially if you’ve seen a dip in income. You could be processing more orders, but your overheads may be higher, or the orders are of lower value, which means you’re actually making less money.
Given that, you might decide to cut hours or positions, asking your team to do more with less.
This strategy can hurt you and your team members in the long run, leading to increased burnout, more time off for injuries and illness, and higher turnover.
Having enough people on staff helps ensure team members have adequate time off between shifts. Break time is also affected. In the warehouse environment, it can be tempting for people to skip breaks, but breaks are essential to avoid burnout. You should enforce taking breaks.
If your team members are constantly skipping their breaks or staying late, then you might want to assess their workload. Would it make sense to bring someone else on, even temporarily or part time? It could be the short term solution you need to avoid long term burnout.
Encourage a Supportive Team Atmosphere
Social support at work is especially important in the current business environment. Everyone is stressed and tired, and many people are dealing with extra demands at home. Some people may feel isolated.
Encourage team members to work together with a teamwork oriented mindset. When everyone pulls their weight, everyone wins.
Encourage team members to create networks to check in with each other, or have a buddy system, so they get support at work. More understanding on the warehouse floor, from both supervisors and colleagues, can make the work environment a more pleasant place to be. Feeling supported at work encourages everyone to give back to the team, too.
Give People the Resources They Need
This is another key factor to avoiding burnout in this environment. The more resources you can give your team, the better they’ll be able to cope with even the biggest challenges.
Resources can mean a lot of things. Using the right technology, for example, could help your team members work in a more efficient way. That may increase their productivity and ensure they don’t feel overwhelmed every shift.
Proper training is another important resource. You may also want to include access to resources like healthcare apps that could connect team members with counsellors or a meditation app that can help them cope with stress.
A good way to discover what your team needs to feel supported is to talk to them. Are there perks you could offer that would help them find work-life balance?
Getting employee feedback in this arena is important. You don’t want to spend money on resources that nobody wants or uses. By getting the team’s input, you can make better decisions about the supports you put in place.
Provide Clear Expectations
Finally, make sure your employees know exactly what’s expected of them each shift. Defining roles can help people prioritize and work more efficiently. If someone isn’t sure of their role, then they may end up taking on too many tasks.
Hire the Help You Need
Ensuring optimal staffing levels is the first step in avoiding employee/warehouse worker burnout. If you think you could use some help in your warehouse, then get in touch with Liberty Staffing Services! We’re here to help you hire the warehouse talent you need to make your business succeed.
