How to hire a warehouse hand

How to hire a warehouse hand, step by step

Here's a step-by-step warehouse hand hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a warehouse hand job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new warehouse hand
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The warehouse hand hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A warehouse hand's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, warehouse hands from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of warehouse hands and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Warehouse Hand	Description	Hourly rate
   Warehouse Hand	Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. Others feed or remove material to and from machines, clean vehicles, pick up unwanted household goods, and pack materials for moving.	$12-18
   Mover	Movers help people take or move things from one place to another through their physical strength. They work manually to help customers in their businesses or homes... Show more	$12-20
   Stock Unloader	Stock unloaders are workers in charge of unloading goods and items from the truck into the store. The unloaders move the products in a warehouse, distribution center, or any industrial facility... Show more	$16-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Load Trucks
   • Safety Rules
   • Delivery Truck
   • Electric Marking Tools
   • Customer Orders
   • Manual Labor
   • Inventory Counts
   • Clean Warehouse
   • Warehouse Inventory
   • Production Sheets
   • Hand Trucks
   • CDL
   • Filling Orders
   • Physical Inventory

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Reconfigure WMS to manage company's new multi-brand strategy.
   • Warehouse operations including coordinate customer pickup retrieval, shipment packaging, and warehouse stocking.
   • Job knowledge includes receiving, picking, packing, order processing and shipping of parcel, LTL & TL medical shipments.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your warehouse hand job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A warehouse hand salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, warehouse hands' average salary in louisiana is 33% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level warehouse hands earn 34% less than senior-level warehouse hands.
   • Certifications. A warehouse hand with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a warehouse hand's salary.

   Average warehouse hand salary

   $15.24hourly

   $31,696 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level warehouse hand salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a warehouse hand job description

   A warehouse hand job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a warehouse hand job description:

   Warehouse hand job description example

   More than a job - a career.
   
   As a Warehouse Material Handler, you will ensure products get where they need to be. You will receive, store, select, pack, and ship warehouse inventory. Our Zone utilizes a Warehouse Management System so technology is required to perform this job. As an employee-owned company, our employees are key to our success and are given opportunities to learn and grow into higher level positions.
   
   Pay starts at $17.50 per hour
   
   Schedule: Monday - Friday
   In this role you will:Operate warehouse equipment such as pallet jacks, forklifts and push carts Receive and store incoming material in accordance with warehouse management system process Select, pack and palletize shipments Sort and pack less-than-truckload shipments, conduct cycle counts Maintain clean warehouse including following all safety procedures and performing daily safety inspections What you bring to the table:No fear of heights Perform physical requirements in a warehouse environment including lifting various loads, cutting wire, climbing ladders and staying on the move in various temperatures, depending on the location; must pass pre-employment physical testing Minimum age of 18 required Good attendance and work ethic2+ years experience preferred Prior large warehouse experience using a warehouse management system preferred
   
   Why should you join Graybar?
   
   At Graybar, our employees are the heart and soul of our company. We believe that employees with diverse perspectives bring the ideas and innovative thinking we need to solve our biggest challenges and compete in an ever-changing world. Consistent with our values, we welcome people from all backgrounds, cultures and experiences into our company because we believe it's the right thing to do and the right way to run our business.We want each of our employees to know that they matter and to feel a sense of belonging, ownership and inclusion at Graybar. We believe that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, and we work to build a collaborative environment where our employees have the opportunity to grow, learn and make a difference, both as individuals and as part of the team.
   
   Apply now and find out what's next for you.
   
   Whether you are just starting your career or have years of experience, you will be proud to work for a thriving company with a solid foundation. Come see why Graybar is continually ranked as a top employer across the country.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Vet/Disabled
   
   Not the right fit? Let us know you're interested in a future opportunity by clicking Introduce Yourself in the top-right corner of the page or create an account to set up email alerts as new job postings become available that meet your interest!

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right warehouse hand for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with warehouse hands they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit warehouse hands who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your warehouse hand job on Zippia to find and recruit warehouse hand candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit warehouse hands, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new warehouse hand

   Once you've found the warehouse hand candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new warehouse hand. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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