The Role of Labor in Fulfillment 

You’ve seen the pictures. Beautiful warehouses with gleaming robots and whizzing conveyors. They make automation look as standard as WiFi in coffee shops. But, the not-so-secret industry truth is that most fulfillment operations still rely on actual human beings to do the work that truly matters.

And honestly? That’s not a bug—it’s a feature.

In a supply chain landscape increasingly defined by automation, AI, and efficiency, it’s easy to overlook the fact that we still need reliable, skilled labor in warehouses. Whether it’s ecommerce or retail distribution, labor is behind every package shipped, every shelf stocked, and every customer expectation met.

Automation is becoming more accessible, but in 2025 most brands still count on pickers and packers (supported by great technology to minimize errors) to handle customized packaging, branded inserts, and personalized touches that technology can’t replicate. This is especially true for operations involving:

• Hand-packaged subscription boxes
• Custom assembly of promotional kits
• Fragile or high-value product handling
• Unboxing experiences designed for social sharing

Without people, orders simply can’t get out the door. In ecommerce fulfillment, workers handle order picking, packing, and returns that require precision and speed. Retail fulfillment adds another layer of complexity, often involving bulk shipments, specialized labeling, and prep work tailored to each retailer’s requirements.

These workflows demand more than just physical effort, they require attention to detail, familiarity with systems, and the ability to adapt or change course on the fly.

The current state of fulfillment labor

Over the past few years, the logistics labor market has shifted from a state of emergency to a state of managed strain. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, while warehouse jobs have dipped since their peak in May 2022, employment was still 34% higher in June 2024 than it was before the 2020 pandemic.

“The mad dash to secure labor has lessened a bit; however, overall ecommerce growth has sustained,” says Matt Schroeder, VP of Investment at WSI. “It’s not as impossible as it once was, but it’s still not easy.”

For ecommerce brands, this creates both challenges and opportunities. While labor availability has improved, finding workers who understand brand-specific requirements remains difficult. The key isn’t just having enough workers—it’s having trained workers who protect your brand at every touchpoint.

There’s also a cultural shift at play. Job tenure is shorter than it used to be, and frequent turnover has become the norm in many logistics markets. This creates challenges not just in recruiting, but in maintaining the kind of trained, reliable workforce that complex fulfillment requires.

While the sustained growth of ecommerce continues to create long-term demand for fulfillment workers, workforce availability remains uneven. And hiring isn’t as simple as flipping a switch, especially during peak seasons, when many fulfillment operations rely on temp labor to meet customer demand.

While temporary labor can help fill short-term gaps, it’s no easy feat to manage. Because temporary workers are only on for a short stint, the quality of work often varies. Plus, onboarding takes time. Maintaining performance standards with this type of labor requires careful planning and operational oversight.

Peak season or not, it’s easy to see the key to a strong fulfillment operation: it’s people who care about getting it right.

The power of people in logistics

Complex work requires capable teams

No matter how user-friendly or intuitive warehouse systems are, they still require onboarding, repetition, and consistent oversight. Every operation has its nuances, and even the most tech-forward facilities depend on a trained workforce to execute accurately and efficiently. Add seasonality into the mix, and a well-prepared labor force becomes even more critical.

Not only this, but labor is also key to delivering the type of experience that sets brands apart. Personalization and attention to detail are lifelines for differentiation. From hand-written notes to promotional materials to assembling multi-SKU kits, these tasks require human touch.

Human flexibility is a superpower in unpredictable moments

Fulfillment rarely goes exactly as planned. Orders change. Supply chains get disrupted. Systems go down. What makes or breaks an operation is how an order fulfillment team responds in those moments. Human teams bring flexibility that machines can’t match by shifting tasks, solving problems in real time, and finding workarounds. When the unexpected happens (and it always does in fulfillment!), it’s people who keep things moving.

Labor enables scalability

Fast-growing brands and high-volume periods demand more than fixed systems. With the right staffing in place, businesses can expand capacity quickly and maintain quality as they grow. Think of it this way: if you’re promoting a product with a discount on your social channels, you’ll want to have enough help on-hand to ensure every package is picked, packed, and shipped efficiently. Plus, you’ll need quick thinking and communication when stock is running low. That’s why having a strong foundation of full-time employees that can flex labor when needed, is essential.

People bring context and judgment

Technology can guide, but it can’t think. It can suggest the next pick, but it can’t evaluate a damaged item within a return. That’s where human judgment comes in. Trained team members apply real-world context to the situation at hand, often catching mistakes before they become problems. For example, a seasoned fulfillment expert can quickly identify when a package may cause a surge in DIM pricing and suggest different packaging to optimize. The more complex your operation, the more important it becomes to have experienced people who can make smart calls in the moment.

Continuous improvement starts with frontline insight

The best process improvements don’t always come from the top; they come from the labor working on the ground floor. People who are in the thick of it every day are the first to spot inefficiencies, safety issues, or opportunities for improvement. When you invest in your workforce, you’re unlocking insight. Empowered employees become a brand’s eyes and ears, shaping a smarter, more responsive fulfillment operation over time.

How WSI manages staffing and training

As a trusted fulfillment partner, WSI approaches labor with a clear philosophy: build a dependable team, then flex intelligently as needed. We prefer to staff full-time employees at each of our fulfillment centers. That gives us consistency, accountability, and a foundation of operational knowledge that can’t be replicated by temp labor alone. However, we also understand that seasonal spikes and regional labor shortages are part of doing business.

To manage labor variability, we use a mix of regular and temporary labor across our network. Because we operate a nationwide footprint (13.5 million square feet of space, to be exact!), we can flex labor between certain sites close in proximity to each other when short-term spikes hit.

When larger-scale or longer-term shifts are needed, we work directly with customer teams to plan and execute those adjustments. Our scale and responsiveness help customers avoid the risks that come with managing fulfillment labor on their own.

Labor matters—and so does how you manage it

At the end of the day, fulfillment still relies on people. On the ground, operating forklifts, moving product, getting the job done. The companies that win won’t be the ones with the most tech or the cheapest labor. They’ll be the ones that know how to manage both effectively.

At WSI, we believe that while technology can make us faster and smarter, it’s our people that make us reliable.