How to screen a warehouse operative

Must-haves to check first

Decide these before you advertise. Keep the list short - every extra requirement narrows your pool.

• Availability for your shift pattern, including nights, weekends and peak overtime Possible knock-out
• Able to get to site for shift start times, including early mornings Possible knock-out
• Warehouse, picking or scanner experience - a nice-to-have for most entry roles Nice to have

8 questions to ask every warehouse operative applicant

Ask everyone the same core questions, in the same order, and follow up where their CV leaves a gap. That's what makes a screen fair and comparable.

1. Which shifts can you work, and can you do nights or rotating shifts?Listen for: A clear pattern that matches yours. Ask about peak-season overtime separately.
2. How will you get to the site for a 6am start?Listen for: A realistic plan - car, lift share, or a bus that actually runs at that time. This is one of the biggest causes of early leavers.
3. Have you used an RF scanner or pick-by-voice system?Listen for: Useful but trainable. Listen for which systems and how long.
4. What was your pick rate or target in your last role, and how did you keep up with it?Listen for: Awareness of targets and a method for hitting them. Honest answers about a bad week are fine.
5. The role involves being on your feet and lifting throughout a shift. How do you feel about that?Listen for: Understanding of the work. Do not ask about health - describe the role and let them respond.
6. Tell me about a time you spotted a mistake in an order or delivery.Listen for: Checks their work and speaks up rather than letting errors through.
7. How do you stay safe around moving vehicles in a warehouse?Listen for: Walkways, high-visibility clothing, eye contact with drivers, never walking behind a moving truck.
8. Are you available for the full peak period?Listen for: Clear dates. Useful for planning temporary-to-permanent intakes.

What not to ask

And for every role, avoid asking about:

• Age or date of birth - unless the law sets a minimum age for the task
• Health, sickness record or disability before a job offer (Equality Act 2010, section 60). The narrow exceptions include asking about adjustments for the recruitment process, and whether someone can carry out a task that is intrinsic to the job - ask about the task, not the condition
• Pregnancy, children, childcare or plans to start a family
• Nationality or "where are you from?" - instead, ask every applicant whether they have the right to work in the UK, and check documents before they start
• Religion, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, or gender reassignment

More on this in AI screening and UK law.

Screening warehouse operatives at volume

If you get more warehouse operatives applicants than your team can phone, the questions above are only fair if everyone gets asked them. BeCareers asks every applicant about your must-haves and these questions in a short conversation - in their own language, at any time of day - and gives you the transcript and a summary. You decide who to interview.

See also: AI screening for warehouse & logistics.