Warehouse Hiring: The Real Problem | Ep 2

In this episode of ShedTalk, Tony Gresty and Naomi Jones sit down with Jen Swain MBE and Yasmin Actar to explore how better recruitment can improve retention, performance and opportunity across warehousing and logistics.This conversation looks at why the industry may not simply have a talent shortage, but an opportunity shortage. Jen explains how Road to Logistics helps people facing barriers to employment move into sustainable careers as HGV drivers and warehouse operatives, while giving employers access to motivated people who are often overlooked by traditional recruitment.Yasmin also shares her personal journey from spending 25 years working in care to training for a completely new career as an HGV driver. She talks openly about overcoming fear, cultural expectations and self-doubt, and how the right training and support gave her the confidence to build a different future for herself and her family.Key points:📦 Why logistics employers need to look beyond traditional recruitment⚙️ How tailored training can prepare safer, more work-ready drivers👷 Why attitude, behaviour and potential can matter more than experience📊 How Road to Logistics achieved 89% employment and 94% retention✅ Why the industry needs to create opportunities instead of repeatedly searching the same shrinking talent poolChapters:00:00 Introducing Jen Swain MBE and Yasmin Actar02:37 The business case for diverse recruitment03:29 Achieving 94% retention after 12 months15:30 Levi’s journey from homelessness into logistics18:37 Yasmin’s career change into HGV driving28:35 Preparing new drivers for the real working environment32:19 Does logistics have a talent shortage or a visibility problem?37:02 Why it is really an opportunity shortage42:05 The true cost of traditional recruitment55:43 How an HGV career could change Yasmin’s futureJen shares the operational results behind Road to Logistics, including 750 people trained, 89% moving into logistics employment and 94% remaining with the same employer after 12 months. She explains why investing in training can offer a stronger return than repeatedly paying recruitment fees, overtime and agency costs to fill the same vacancies.The episode also explores what good employer partnerships look like. By working closely with organisations such as Brakes and the Department for Work and Pensions, training can be designed around the real role including drivers’ hours, bridge strikes, mental health, customer service, food distribution and urban driving.The central lesson is straightforward: logistics will not solve its recruitment challenges by continuing to search for experienced people in an ever-shrinking pool. Employers need to identify potential, provide the right training and build their future talent pipelines before vacancies become urgent.If you work in warehousing, logistics, fulfilment, supply chain, automation or materials handling, this episode is designed to give you a more practical and commercially useful way to think about recruitment, retention and the hidden talent your organisation may be overlooking.Connect with the hosts:Tony Gresty: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonygresty/Naomi Jones: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-e-jones/Subscribe for more real-world conversations about better warehouses, smarter logistics and practical operational improvement.ShedTalk. All Shed and Done.