Pay ranked as the single most important factor

Wages, shift preferences and more flexible HR policies are the key factors to attracting and retaining hourly warehouse workers, according to the 11th annual Warehouse Employee Opinion Survey released by industrial staffing firm EmployBridge.

Pay ranked as the single most important factor among warehouse workers for the 11th consecutive year. For the first time since the survey was established in 2007, a majority of warehouse workers (65%) reported earning hourly rates of USD12 or more, compared to 26% percent in 2014.

"It appears from our survey findings that USD12 an hour has become the bare minimum wage for warehouse workers; however, we're seeing many of our clients offering more attractive wages in order to secure quality talent given the single-digit unemployment market," says Brian Devine, EmployBridge senior VP and creator of the survey.

When it comes to hourly workers' shift preference, 67% of respondents said they want to work first shift and prefer eight-hour shifts. Companies that require second or third shifts to meet production demands may need to offer higher pay differentials, particularly in a tight labour market. According to the survey, hourly workers, on average, desire USD1 more per hour to accept and stay on second or third shift, as compared to 62 cents in 2011.

At the current low unemployment rates in the US, rigid HR policies may not make good business sense, according to EmployBridge. The survey found that warehouse workers overwhelmingly prefer their current pay plus five days of paid time off rather than a pay rate increase with no days off.

"We are in unchartered territory as many employers prepare for peak season and seek to secure seasonal talent," says EmployBridge chief workforce analyst Joanie Courtney. "With consumer optimism at record levels and unemployment in single-digits, employers must get aggressive and more creative in their efforts to find and maintain an adequate labour force in order to take advantage of increased consumer demands."