S5-Ep36: Lasting Solutions for Distribution Center Labor Shortages

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April 29, 2023 • 44 mins

Guest: Will O’Brien & Dave DuBose

The labor shortage is not going away. Workers are more transient, looking for better pay, plus Amazon, Walmart, and other large online retailers are continuing to drive up competition for distribution center (DC) employees. So, most DC operators resort to wage increases and retention bonuses as the quick solution to this really challenging people problem. Will O'Brien and Dave DuBose joins the show to share the better answer, which is a set of more robust solutions that better serve the operators’ longer-term needs and mitigate their dependence on short-lived “quick fix” wage and bonus answers that everyone else is chasing.

Here's what Will, Dave, and Maureen cover:

Why pay is only the beginning in forming long-term solutions to supply-chain labor;
How Columbus, Ohio, represents the distribution issues retailers face; and
Why, regardless of the economy, the labor shortage is not going away.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

Supply Chain Innovation: Orders Can’t Be Filled with Stagnation with Mike McLellan of DHL
Evolving Leadership to Navigate Disruption with Greg Moran
Are You Disrupting, or Being Disrupted? with Mark Kvamme

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RESOURCES:

Will and Dave are partners with True North Growth Partners; you can learn more at https://truenorthgrowthpartners.com. (We love their motto: “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”)

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She’s also written several award-winning books on leadership development. You can peruse and purchase them here.

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