Our client is one of Europe’s leading supermarket retailers with an aggressive focus upon maintaining their growth within the industry. Having delivered a range of research projects over the previous 2 year, we were engaged to support with the planned relocation of one of their Distribution Centres. In order to operate with confidence a detailed resourcing plan was required, we sought to provide them with an understanding of the labour market within the prospective area, ensuring that they would have the appeal, facilities and workforce to maintain and increase their productivity.
Our Solution
We conducted an extensive external research programme to understand the Warehouse Operative labour market within the location of the new Distribution Centre. This included directly engaging with potential candidates within the area to determine interest in working for our client, the awareness/perception of their employer brand, as well as the main motivators and drivers when choosing a new role. Over 100 Warehouse Operatives were interviewed via telephone enabling us to provide insights covering:
Competitors:
• Prominent Employers Warehouse Operatives were particularly interested in working for.
• Pay and Benefits (Current and Desired)
• Facilities within their current Employers’ Distribution Centre
• Tasked conducted within current role
• Training and Development offered within their Current Employers’
• Live Vacancies within their current employers
Talent:
• Travel – how far Warehouse Operatives would be prepared to travel and what mode of transport they would use
• Shift Patterns – which shift patterns Warehouse Operatives currently worked, and what shift patterns they would like/dislike in a future role
• Propensity to move
• How they would source their next role
• Awareness and Perception of their Employer Brand
• Interest in working for our client
Local Employment Market:
• Labour Market intel – including demographics and skills within Warehouse Operative labour market
• Local area demographics vs UK
• Gender/age statistics
• Rate of unemployment within the local area
• Ethnicity, Education Level and occupations of active labour market
Naturally, there is always an element of risk that goes in to relocating a Distribution Centre, however with our intelligence our client had greater awareness of the labour market which helped them understand the expectations of those that they would be approaching in the coming months, thus allowing them to address any potential challenges prior to their move.
We shared our understanding of their employer brand as well as their local employment market and insight into their competitors. Finally, we offered recommendations into how our client could improve how they can attract and engage with talent and devised a plan in how to approach the appropriate talent when their recruitment process begins. Our research served as a vital part of the relocation process, as it afforded them the foresight to make the appropriate preparations prior to their move and be in the best position to attract candidates within this area.
