The right warehouse training encourages workers to commit to the company, inspires loyalty and creativity, and increases productivity. Warehouse team members’ training should take a two-pronged approach. First, it should give workers the skills they need to operate the machines and warehouse equipment they need to perform their job functions. Second, an effective training program must demonstrate to employees how their work is essential and required for the company to succeed.

Read on to learn five warehouse training tips you can consider for your operations.

Warehouse Worker Training Crucial

Training for warehouse workers should be an opportunity to inspire your employees to be more committed to the company, which is possible as long as you offer them something more than just a pat on the back.

The reason behind this is to prevent a high turnover for a warehouse. It should come as no surprise that warehouse work can be repetitive, and when a task becomes repetitive, monotony could settle in. When employees start experiencing redundancy in their work area, it will be harder to convince them to stay, making the training for warehouse workers even more necessary.

Warehouse Training Tips for Boosting Productivity

1. Make Employees Aware of Career Paths

Training for warehouse workers must include the bigger picture of their careers. Most employees want career growth, and sometimes monetary compensation is not enough for a person to consider staying with a company, especially if their daily routine seems monotonous. Most people would want to move on from doing entry-level work to mid-level or managerial.

Your training for warehouse workers must include a process that would help entry-level employees develop the necessary skills or traits that could qualify them for a higher position. Giving your employees a chance to grow will help them look forward to something and not be disillusioned by the idea of doing the same tasks for the rest of their lives.

2. Build Relationships with Team-Building Exercises

Training for warehouse workers should also include team building because it fosters good relationships between employees and managers. It's essential always to maintain good working relationships in your warehouse because these facilities depend heavily on labor. If you have a high turnover, this could severely hamper your warehouse operations. One of the most common reasons for employees leaving their jobs is because they do not get along with their fellow employees or managers.

Training for warehouse workers through team building can help your employees build camaraderie with each other, and your managers could even find problem spots with some of your employees. Team building exercises are also designed to indicate which employees are good with following instructions.

One worthy example of training for warehouse workers that assesses the ability of employees and even managers to comply with company rules is the "Set-Up" Game. Here's how it works:

• Set aside a spot in the warehouse and place a mock workstation there.
• Display items in the mock workstation or arrange something that would breach company rules, like a power tool not properly stashed or a checklist with several tick boxes empty.
• Task your employees to either work together as teams or as individuals and have them spot as many breaches as they can find.
• Reward the team with a higher score and use this as an opportunity to teach employees about company rules.

3. Teach Employees to Take Ownership of Their Tasks

Training for warehouse workers should also include teaching employees about ownership. Ownership means taking the initiative, and it could be helpful for a warehouse to have employees with this kind of trait.

Warehouse workers often stick to their tasks and rarely venture outside because it doesn't necessarily lead to extra pay. However, taking the initiative in handling tasks beyond their purview could help the company be more productive. For this reason, managers should include training their warehouse workers for ownership to keep operations running without fail.

You could also use your training for warehouse workers to educate them about being proactive in preventing crises. Use this opportunity to teach them to immediately handle any situation that could lead to disruptions to your operations, such as failure to comply with safety precautions.  

4. Add Creativity Exercises to Training Sessions

Also, include in your training for warehouse workers exercises that increase creativity because it can help reinvigorate their minds and make them more productive. A rigid and structured work area, like a warehouse storage facility, can lead to a monotonous routine. This can be draining for any person since humans aren't designed to work like robots.

On the day of the training for warehouse workers, you can use the marshmallow challenge or the river crossing challenge to help them be more creative and resourceful. The marshmallow challenge requires players to build the tallest free-standing structure using only a limited number of sticks, and the marshmallow should be placed on top and not fall off. The river crossing challenge requires players to solve an imaginary puzzle wherein a boatman must carry a fox, a chicken, and a bag of corn across a river. The player who comes up with the least number of times the boatman crosses the river wins.

5. Give Employees Opportunities to Make Decisions

Lastly, it is essential to include in your training for warehouse workers an opportunity to empower them into making decisions. Employees feel undervalued when they think they don't have a say in anything that happens in their workplace. One of the primary reasons why some employees leave their jobs is because they do not feel their opinions matter.

Employees who are given a chance to make crucial decisions for the company are much more likely to stay loyal and be productive. By empowering them to make decisions, warehouse workers would feel more appreciated and more important. They believe their choices somehow steer the company in the right direction, which most employees want to feel.

PositiveVision Offers Training and Support for Manufacturers and Distributors

Were these warehouse training tips helpful? PositiveVision knows the difference the right kind of training means for your business. We offer training sessions throughout the year covering multiple topics and business management software systems, including Sage 300 ERP.

Productivity is a central focus area for manufacturing and distribution business owners. PositiveVision offers multiple options, including refresher courses and in-depth training programs. Contact us today to learn more about classes and in-house training.

Linda Baran

Linda Baran is in charge of the people side of PositiveVision. Linda’s background includes working in a variety of industries including investment, manufacturing, and information technology.