Why “Anyone Will Do” Is the Most Expensive Warehouse Recruitment Mindset
- Pin Point Recruitment
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
In warehouse recruitment, we hear it all the time:
“We just need bodies.” “Anyone will do.” “It’s only picking and packing.”
We understand the pressure. Orders are stacking up. SLAs need to be met. Peak is approaching. You need people - fast.
But here’s the truth:
“Anyone will do” is the most expensive recruitment strategy a warehouse can adopt.
And the costs aren’t always obvious - until it’s too late.
1. The Hidden Cost of High Turnover
When hiring decisions are made purely on speed, without assessing fit, reliability, or capability, turnover skyrockets.
What does that really cost?
Re-advertising roles
Re-screening candidates
Re-inducting staff
Supervisors retraining new starters
Productivity dips during onboarding
Increased pressure on experienced team members
If a new starter leaves after two weeks, you haven’t just lost a wage; you’ve lost time, efficiency, and team stability.
We regularly see warehouses cycling through 3–4 workers to fill one stable position. That isn’t saving money. It’s burning it. 2. Productivity Drops Faster Than You Think
Warehouse work may look straightforward on the surface, but the reality is different.
Accuracy
Pace
Health & safety awareness
Attention to detail.
Team communication.
The wrong hire doesn’t just underperform they slow everyone else down.
Picking errors increase returns. Misplaced stock affects inventory accuracy. Low pace impacts dispatch targets.
One disengaged or unsuitable worker can quietly cost thousands in operational inefficiencies.
3. Safety Risks Multiply
Warehouses are safety-critical environments.
When hiring decisions ignore experience, attitude, or reliability, incidents increase:
Poor manual handling practices
Forklift misuse
Failure to follow site procedures
Near misses that could have been prevented
Accidents don’t just impact individuals, they disrupt shifts, damage morale, and can lead to serious financial and legal consequences.
Cutting corners in recruitment often leads to cutting corners on the floor.
4. Morale Is Contagious — Good and Bad
Your strongest warehouse staff notice when standards slip.
When they see:
Colleagues who don’t pull their weight
Constant churn of new starters
Supervisors tied up retraining
Performance targets missed due to weak hires
Morale drops.
And when your best workers disengage or leave? That’s when the real cost hits.
A “quick fix” hire can end up pushing out your most valuable people.
5. Speed Without Screening Isn’t Efficiency
As a recruitment partner, our job isn’t just to send CVs quickly.
It’s to:
Understand your operation
Assess candidate reliability and work ethic
Match shift patterns to realistic availability
Pre-screen for physical capability
Check transport and punctuality risks
Evaluate cultural fit
Sending “anyone” may fill a gap today.Sending the right person keeps it filled.
There’s a big difference.
6. The True Cost Comparison
Let’s break it down:
Cheap mindset:
Fast hire
High churn
Low productivity
Increased errors
Safety risks
Ongoing recruitment cycles
Strategic mindset:
Proper screening
Lower turnover
Higher productivity
Stable teams
Reduced supervision strain
Long-term cost control
One approach looks cheaper on paper.The other is cheaper in reality.
7. Warehouses Don’t Need “Anyone” — They Need Reliability
The most successful warehouse operations we work with don’t say, “Anyone will do.”
They say:
“We need dependable people.”
“We need team players.”
“We need people who’ll stay.”
That shift in mindset changes everything.
When recruitment becomes strategic rather than reactive, operations stabilise. Output improves. Costs reduce. Supervisors can lead instead of firefight.
Final Thought: Recruitment Is an Operational Investment
Warehouse recruitment isn’t about filling space on a rota.
It’s about protecting:
Productivity
Safety
Morale
Customer satisfaction
Profit margins
The phrase “anyone will do” might feel practical in the moment.
But in our experience?
It’s always the most expensive option.
