Warehouses are constantly hiring. This is often the nature of workplaces, but there are tools that can help reduce turnover and keep good employees in their role for longer.
Onboarding. Warehouses tend to have onboarding processes in place, but when was the last time you took a look at them and made any updates?
Here are some ways onboarding is frequently overlooked and the role it can play in reducing warehouse turnover.
The Disadvantages of Warehouse Turnover
Canada is facing a surge in employee turnover, with about 1 in 3 hiring managers expecting to see an increase across the year, rising to 37% among companies with 100 employees or more. With the average cost of turnover rising to $30,680, these losses don't come cheap. Every time a warehouse loses an employee, they have to spend money to hire a new one in the position, train them, and consider the lost productivity if that first employee had stayed.
Why Thorough Onboarding Matters
Onboarding shapes a new hire's entire impression of the job before they've had a chance to settle in. A rushed first day, a stack of paperwork with no context, or a supervisor who's too busy to walk through the basics all send the same message - figure it out yourself.
In a warehouse where safety procedures, equipment handling, and shift expectations are all things a new employee needs to learn quickly, that kind of gap can push someone to look elsewhere within weeks. A thorough onboarding process does more than cover training. It builds confidence, sets clear expectations, and gives new employees a reason to picture themselves staying long term. Skipping that step doesn't save time. It just shifts the cost to recruiting and retraining later.
How to Update Your Onboarding Process
Start by treating onboarding as a process, not a single day. Extend it through the first 90 days rather than wrapping it up after orientation. Pair new hires with an experienced team member who can answer questions and show them the ropes on the floor, not just in a classroom. Build in short check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days so managers can catch confusion or frustration early, before it turns into a resignation. Make sure safety training and equipment procedures are covered clearly and repeatedly, not rushed through once. It also helps to ask recent hires directly about what worked and what didn't. They're the ones who just went through it, and their feedback often points to gaps a manager wouldn't otherwise notice.
Find Quality Hires Through Liberty Staffing Services
Liberty Staffing Services connects Southern Ontario warehouses with reliable, work-ready candidates who fit the role and the environment from day one. That means less time spent screening resumes and more time spent building a team that sticks around. If warehouse turnover has been eating into your productivity and budget, updating onboarding is a strong first step, and partnering with a staffing agency that understands the industry is a strong second one.
Reach out to Liberty Staffing to see how the right hires can make onboarding, and retention, easier from the start.
