What should you look for when hiring a warehouse manager? Beyond the necessary technical skills and training they should obviously have, candidates for the position of warehouse manager should possess these five character traits: Technologically sophisticated, meticulous, authoritative, organized, and calm under pressure. Why are these traits so important in this type of worker? We will go in depth on the reasons for each one below.
TECHNOLOGICALLY SOPHISTICATED
In order to manage every aspect of a business’s inventory, even the best warehouse manager needs help. They can’t do it all by themselves without the aid of some type of technology. Imagine the problems that would arise from trying to commit inventory quantities and other numbers to memory without any notetaking or other efforts at recording the data in a safe place. Warehouse managers need help in in the form of warehouse management software. Your warehouse manager should know how to use at least some type of warehouse management system. If they don’t, then hopefully they can learn quickly because this is an essential skill.
METICULOUS
Your warehouse manager will be responsible for managing everything to do with your warehouse and inventory. Their job is crucial to your company’s success, so they must perform it with meticulous precision. This is where the technologically sophisticated and meticulous character traits converge. To do the job effectively, your warehouse manager must be adept at using warehouse management software to keep tabs on every aspect of your inventory management. They must also have a mind for details, so they can properly use the software.
AUTHORITATIVE
Your warehouse manager needs to wear many hats as they do their job. An important one is supervisor. They must be able to work well with employees and help them be as productive as possible. This means delegating key responsibilities to them and making employees accountable for getting their jobs done accurately and in a timely manner. Using barcode scanners and warehouse management software can make this task easier for employees. It allows them to do more and it also allows your warehouse manager to monitor their progress and even correct mistakes when they pop up.
ORGANIZED
A business’s inventory assets and requirements must be carefully coordinated with multiple departments. Sales, customer service, production, warehouse management, and other departments depend on having accurate inventory data that is accessible across the board for a variety of purposes. Your warehouse manager should be good at organizing products, lists, and other things to optimize your inventory management. They should also work closely with other department heads to ensure everyone’s needs are being met.
CALM UNDER PRESSURE
When things go wrong somewhere along your company’s supply chain or in your warehouse, your warehouse manager needs to take care of them swiftly and confidently. If they have the right resources and are sure of what they are doing, they should be able to handle anything. Warehouse management software can give them that extra boost of confidence they need to handle any emergency and quickly resolve small issues that come up before they erupt into wider problems.