Automation is moving from a side project to a core part of how depots run. Retail and logistics are already among the sectors actively integrating AI to streamline functions such as inventory management and supply chains GOV.UK's AI adoption research. That shift changes what the work looks like on the floor, and it changes who you need to hire.
There's a lot of headroom here. The UK still lags internationally on the use of industrial robots, using only 101 robots per 10,000 workers in 2020 the International Federation of Robotics, reported in GOV.UK's Smart Machines Strategy 2035. As more depots close that gap, demand for people who can work alongside automated case picking is set to grow, not shrink.
But the people side is the bottleneck. Over 50% of manufacturers cite skills shortages as the main barrier to AI adoption, and only 2% say AI is widely embedded across their operations Make UK's report on AI, skills and the future of UK manufacturing. The machines are ready faster than the workforce is, which makes hiring and upskilling the real race.
Automated case picking doesn't remove depot jobs so much as redraw them. Instead of picking cases by hand all shift, people monitor throughput, clear faults, handle exceptions and keep the system running. That calls for a wider skill set: basic technical troubleshooting, data literacy, and the judgement to decide when to step in.
The wider trend backs this up. Six in ten (59%) manufacturers cite automation and half (50%) cite wider digitalisation as trends changing jobs and skills needs, and 74% expect demand for cognitive and meta-cognitive skills to increase by 2030 Make UK's 2030 Skills: Closing the Gap report. In plain terms, employers want more thinking, problem-solving and adapting, not just lifting.
Many employers are responding by developing the people they already have. 40% of manufacturers are looking to upskill their existing workforce, specifically for redeployment as a result of automation and digitalisation, and that figure rises for firms with more than 1,000 employees Make UK's Executive Survey 2026. So the hiring picture is a mix: bring in new technical capability and grow it internally too.
Start with the real job, not the old one. Write job descriptions around what the role is becoming: monitoring automated case picking, resolving exceptions, reading performance data and keeping flow steady. Being clear about the technical and problem-solving side helps you attract people who want that work, rather than people expecting a purely manual shift.
Hire for aptitude as much as experience. With demand for cognitive and meta-cognitive skills set to increase by 2030 Make UK's 2030 Skills report, curiosity and the ability to learn fast often matter more than a specific tool on a CV. Test for how someone reasons through a fault or a bottleneck, because that transfers across systems.
Pair hiring with a clear upskilling path. If 40% of manufacturers are already upskilling existing staff for redeployment Make UK's Executive Survey 2026, the depots that win talent will be the ones that show new starters a route to grow. And move quickly: skilled people with technical aptitude don't stay on the market long, so a slow process loses the best of them.
When you're hiring for a depot that's changing fast, speed and reach both matter. We search a database of 15 million candidates to find people with the technical aptitude and problem-solving skills automated case picking needs, then rank a shortlist for you in under 30 seconds. We handle recruitment end to end, from matching to booking interviews, so your team can stay focused on running the floor.
Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost, through Reed.ai. That means you only pay when we find the right person for the role, and it's free for the people looking for work. Tell us what your depot needs next and we'll start building your shortlist today.
