Everyday Duties Expected In Most Warehouse Jobs
April 23, 2018 | Career Blog
The warehouse industry is always hiring. At first glance, you may worry this is an indicator of poor working conditions or low pay—making it difficult for companies to keep their employees.
This actually isn’t so. The average entry-level position in a warehouse pays between $17-20 per hour for relatively straight forward work. For those who are in need of a secure job with little background experience, this is an incredibly reasonable option with a lot of opportunity for growth.
If you do not know anyone in this line of work, you are probably wondering what exactly the job would entail. The job of a warehouse worker varies depending on the type of warehouse and the materials that are being handled.
The general tasks involve the organization, selection, and processing of the merchandise. As mentioned above, there are lot of warehouse jobs that need to be filled, and where you fit all depends on your level of skill and experience.
Types of Warehouse Positions
Depending on the geographic location and service industry, the specific types of positions can vary quite a bit. However, the baselines do cross over. Some standard warehouse job titles you can expect to come across in your search include:
- Warehouse clerk
- Warehouse worker
- Stocker clerk (or stocker)
- Receiver
- Loader
- Merchandise pickup/receiver associate
- Shipping specialist
- Shipping and receiving associate
- Material handler
- Forklift driver/operator
- General laborer
- Truck and tractor operators
- Traffic clerk
- Transportation manager
- Storage manager
- Distribution manager
General Warehouse Job Requirements
Naturally, the specific job requirements for warehouse employees vary depending upon the position. However, there are a few skills that all warehouse personnel are required to possess, including:
- The possession of a high school diploma or GED
- Clear, effective, and respectful communication, with the ability to understand all written and verbal instructions
- Basic organization, maintaining a clean work area and keeping track of inventory
- Dependability and responsibility by arriving on time to every shift
- The ability to understand and follow all safety rules
- The ability to meet the physical demands of the job
- Work experience that includes some history of practicing safety, efficiency, flexibility, and the ability to learn new skills
Everyday Duties for a Warehouse Role
As with other job components, the job duties are very specific to the individual roles throughout the warehouse team. Some of the most common positions for new warehouse employees are ‘material handler’ and ‘shipping and receiving associate.’ Let’s take a look at these two roles as examples:
Material Handler
Basic Duties:
- Moving pallets of materials to production lines
- Moving pallets of finished product to warehouse racks
- Using motorized equipment such as forklifts and cherry-pickers
- Applying labels to containers
- Setting up and loading filing machines
Required Experience:
- Previous forklift experience or training certification
- Basic reading and math skills
- Skills using automatic and manual packing machines, scales, and printing devices
- Mechanical aptitude
Shipping & Receiving Associate
Basic Duties:
- Processing shipments
- Loading/unloading pallets
- Preparing orders
- Maintenance of shipping and storage areas
- Inspecting material for quality assurance
- Counting inventory
- Tracking orders and document work
Required Experience:
- Experience in shipping, receiving, and inventory
- Basic reading and math skills
- Skills using automatic and manual packing machines, scales, and printing devices
- Mechanical aptitude
Finding The Right Job Match For You
If you are considering applying for one of the many warehouse jobs, but do not know which one would be right for you, there are staffing professionals that can help to guide you in the right direction. The Allegiance Staffing team are experts in matching individuals to warehouse work based on their skills and level of experience.
Even better, once you are working with Allegiance, you can participate in the Build. Grow. Share. program where each employee is rewarded with ongoing compensation for every employee referral that joins the team.
You will not only find your true path with Allegiance, you will become part of a family that is focused on each team member’s success. You do not have to face the job search alone. Experience the benefits of working with staffing specialists who know how to set you up with a promising future and career path.