Automation may drive efficiency, but people still drive outcomes.
Peak season pushes your warehouse systems to their limits. Smart warehouse managers know the secret isn’t just tech upgrades. It’s staffing your operation with people who understand how to work with, and not against, your automation.
Whether you’ve deployed WMS, robotics, pick-to-light, or predictive analytics, the right roles on your floor will maximize your investment and keep your operation moving during the busiest time of the year.
Below, we outline the top 5 seasonal fulfillment roles that enable peak success in a tech-enabled warehouse, and 3 strategic roles that might not be on your radar (but should be).
Top 5 Peak Season Fulfillment Roles for Tech-Enabled Warehouses
- Pickers and Packers with WMS Experience
Modern fulfillment lines rely on RF scanners, voice-picking tools, and digital manifests. Experienced pickers and packers who can jump in without disrupting system workflows are essential.
Operational Impact: Fewer scanning errors, higher pick accuracy, and seamless integration with your WMS help increase throughput and reduce rework.
- Shipping & Receiving Clerks Trained on TMS/ERP Platforms
Inbound and outbound freight only flow as smoothly as your clerks can log and confirm it. Those familiar with transportation management systems (TMS), barcoding software, or ASN protocols can help you reduce congestion at the dock and avoid data delays.
Efficiency Gain: Real-time visibility into shipments and fewer chargebacks due to misroutes or delayed confirmations.
- Forklift Operators Skilled in Tech-Supported Environments
From high-bay inventory to smart racking systems, your material handling infrastructure is only as efficient as the people operating in sync with it. Forklift operators who can use onboard tracking tools or interface with digital staging systems are a must.
Value to Your Operation: Safer workflows, optimized storage paths, and stronger ROI on your handling equipment.
- Quality Control Inspectors Using Digital Tools
Automated packaging lines and shipping software can’t always spot what an experienced eye can. Quality assurance associates trained on tablets or visual checklists support both customer satisfaction and system data integrity.
Performance Advantage: Reduced returns and better upstream quality insights through more accurate defect tracking.
- Warehouse Leads Who Read the Dashboards
Supervisors no longer just manage people; they manage data. Your leads should be able to interpret real-time metrics, respond to automated alerts, and reallocate labor when the unexpected happens.
Productivity Payoff: Keeps your operation agile and responsive during fluctuations without sacrificing output or safety.
3 Overlooked Seasonal Roles That Support Automation and Boost Retention
- Automation Equipment Technicians
Modern warehouses depend heavily on conveyors, sorters, robotics, and AS/RS systems. But when they go down, everything grinds to a halt. That’s where automation techs come in—they’re trained to monitor, calibrate, and perform preventive maintenance on warehouse automation systems.
Efficiency Gain: Minimizes unplanned downtime, extends equipment life, and ensures high utilization of costly tech investments.
2. AI/Systems Data Coordinators
AI-driven forecasting and inventory modeling require clean, well-structured data. These coordinators manage the inputs and outputs of AI and Warehouse Management Systems and troubleshoot data discrepancies within your LMS and OMS platforms.
Operational Impact: Improves decision accuracy, reduces forecasting errors, and ensures AI tools function as intended during high-demand periods.
- Onsite Training Support from Your Staffing Partner
When onboarding 30, 60, or 100 seasonal associates, even the most automated facility can hit a human bottleneck. That’s where onsite support teams from your staffing provider become a game-changer.
They manage training, guide new hires through your tools and processes, and keep morale high, so your full-time supervisors can focus on operations, not orientation.
Value to Your Operation: Faster ramp-up times, reduced turnover, and smoother adoption of warehouse systems during peak periods.
Conclusion: Align Labor with Technology, Not Against It
Automation alone doesn’t win peak season. But automation, aligned with a purpose-built seasonal workforce? That’s what separates fulfillment leaders from the rest.
If you’re planning for peak, don’t ask how many people, ask which roles will accelerate your systems and strengthen your outcomes.
