Modern warehousing has been shaped by e-commerce growth. Warehouses are now essential in next-day delivery expectations.
While there are many key warehouse roles that are important to optimizing warehouses for this new way of warehousing, the most essential is the picker packers. Because of this there has been an increase in demand for pickers and packers, especially during seasonal spikes and promotions.
What Is a Picker Packer?
A picker packer is a warehouse worker responsible for selecting (picking) items from inventory and preparing (packing) them for shipping. This role can be filled by full time or temporary warehouse workers.
Key Responsibilities of a Picker Packer
- Read pick lists or digital orders via handheld scanners or tablets
- Locate items accurately from racks or bins
- Check product quality and quantity
- Pack items securely with labels and documentation
- Ensure shipping deadlines are met
Many people can fill the role of a picker and packer but there are a few skills that are important for success as a picker packer. The first is attention to detail. Pickers and packers, whether full time or temp labor, are responsible for filling orders correctly. Attention to details help ensure the right product is picked for the right orders. Familiarity with WMS can also help in picking and packing.
Picking and packing can also require some physical stamina and speed. Warehouses often hire picking and packing workers who can be on their feet for long periods of time and are comfortable moving around to pick the product.
Lastly, good organization and time management skills are important for picking and packing. Lots of orders can be filled at the same time and organization helps the right product go to the right order.
Common Work Environments
- E-Commerce Fulfillment Centers
- Distribution Warehouses
- Seasonal Packaging Operations
Benefits of Hiring Picker Packers for Your Warehouse
Hiring picking and packing workers provides benefits as they are an essential warehouse role. Pickers and packers increase efficiency and accuracy in order fulfillment. Reduce errors and returns by ensuring quality control.
Finding warehouse workers to pick and pack helps scale with demand, especially when paired with temp staffing solutions. Which contributes directly to customer satisfaction through timely deliveries.
How to Source Reliable Picker Packers
Traditional Temp Agencies Near You
Traditional temp agencies give you access to background checked workers and handle payroll and compliance. This creates less load on managers and easier onboarding during peak periods.
However, because the warehouse temp agency process is manual it is slower. With lack of direct communication with workers and higher markup fees there is often a lack of transparency. Many businesses ask how much does a temp agency charge per hour, without being able to find the answer.
Lastly, worker quality from temp agencies is often lacking and workers can be unreliable leaving the warehouse in a bind.
Staffing Apps Like Bacon
Staffing apps or warehouse job apps are the modern solution to warehouse temp staffing. Staffing app Bacon offers on-demand access to local picker packers with real-time job posting and control.
Workers profiles have ratings and performance history through the Bacon Score. There are no long term contracts so staffing apps are more affordable than temp agencies near you.
Bacon allows managers to flex labor to warehouse volume on a shift by shift basis. Find warehouse staff to scale headcount up or down instantly. Staffing warehouse shifts to meet demand means cost efficiency and orders getting met on time.
Bacon has high fill rates with the workers having the choice in picking up warehouse shifts that fit their schedule. Bacon is the best way to find pickers and packers.
Picker Packers Are Your Competitive Edge
To recap pickers and packers are important for efficient, accurate, and scalable warehouse operations. Warehouse managers rethink how you source these roles. If your temp agency is leaving more to be desired then leverage modern staffing tools like Bacon to staff warehouse shifts.
Explore flexible staffing apps to meet your warehouse’s shifting demands with the right people, at the right time.
