A new survey commissioned by a Pittsburgh tech company claims that warehouse workers tend to value the use of various technologies during their job so much that most would be willing to consider switching companies for a position that had better on-site tech even if such a switch resulted in a pay disparity.
The survey, paid for by Wexford-based Lucas Systems, came from Wakefield Research, which independently polled 500 on-floor warehouse workers in May across the country. Lucas Systems maintains warehousing software logistics at over 400 sites around the world and the company said it had no involvement in the survey's conduction.
As for the survey's findings, about 74% of all workers surveyed said they'd consider taking a pay cut at another job if the opportunity to use technology at that new job would aid them in their day-to-day duties. The survey also examined worker sentiment and found that 75% of respondents said the physical strain of their jobs is having a larger impact on them than the mental strain, with the largest cause of physical strain being attributed to the carrying or lifting of items, followed by walking or traveling demands. Additionally, the survey found that 35% of respondents plan to stay longer than five years at their current warehouse job, with 74% claiming they plan to stick around for at least three years.
“If on-floor workers equate tech investments with the company’s willingness to help them, it shows us that warehouse technology could play a vital role in attracting and retaining employees in addition to its role in improving warehouse operations and performance,” Lucas Systems Chief Marketing Officer Ken Ramoutar said in a press release.
Furthermore, the survey found that warehouse workers value the aid brought on by the robotic companions found in many warehouses, but these workers feel that the adoption of such tools has led to them fearing a potential increase in quota requirements. At least 46% of respondents said they believe the use of these robots will reduce the physical stress of their jobs and 44% believe the robots will help them achieve faster item picking speed. Only 40% of respondents said the robots will help them have better accuracy in their item picking.
"While there are a number of insights from workers that Lucas was curious about going into the project, a bulk of the survey questions focused on technology — worker beliefs, fears, perceptions of it, etc. — because that is directly related to Lucas’ business," Jill Berardi, a spokesperson for Lucas Systems, said in an email statement. "The industry itself — many industries, actually — are suffering from a labor shortage. And Lucas wanted to share some perspectives from workers on tech’s role in retaining and attracting workers, especially as it relates to Gen Z, the next generation of leaders."
The full report, titled "Voice of the Warehouse Worker," can be found here. It follows Lucas Systems' September 2021 report that focused on identifying knowledge gaps in warehouse logistics.
