Logistics is changing fast, and hiring is changing with it. Government research notes that sectors like retail and logistics were already actively integrating AI to improve customer insights and streamline functions such as inventory management and supply chains AI Adoption Research - GOV.UK. That shift matters for returns, because the same tools that track stock inwards now help manage goods coming back the other way.
There's plenty of headroom too. The International Federation of Robotics reported that UK utilisation of industrial robots substantially lags internationally, using only 101 robots per 10,000 workers in 2020 Smart Machines Strategy 2035 - GOV.UK. For depots, that gap is an opportunity: the teams you hire today will shape how automation and people work side by side tomorrow.
The wider jobs picture is growing, not shrinking. Labour market projections put the net change for AI-related occupations at roughly 696,000 jobs in the automation scenario and up to 1,072,000 in the technological opportunities scenario, with replacement demand rising from 3,077,000 to 3,193,000 jobs across those scenarios AI Skills for Life and Work: Labour market and skills projections - GOV.UK. Returns design sits right inside that demand.
Returns design is about building the process that handles goods coming back: inspection, sorting, restocking, refurbishment and disposal. In an agent-assisted depot, software agents triage returns, suggest the next action and route items automatically. So the people you hire need to design those flows and work confidently alongside the automation.
Look for a blend of roles. Reverse-logistics process designers map the journey a returned item takes. Depot data analysts read return rates, reasons and recovery value, then feed that back into the design. Floor team leaders keep the physical process moving and train staff to work with the agents. Each of these roles leans on both operational know-how and comfort with data and tools.
Routes into these jobs are widening. Apprenticeships have risen from 3% of AI hires in 2020 to 19% in 2025 GOV.UK / DSIT – AI Labour Market Survey 2025 report. That tells you something useful: you don't always need a ready-made expert. You can hire for aptitude and build the specialist skills in-house.
Start with the work, not the job title. Write down the three or four tasks returns design actually involves in your depot, then recruit against those. A clear skills profile helps you spot strong people who've never had the exact job before.
Speed helps too. Good people in logistics move fast, so a slow process loses them. Keep your stages tight, give quick feedback and make the first interview count. When you combine a clear skills profile with a quick, respectful process, you hire better and you hire sooner.
When you're ready to fill a returns design role, we can do the heavy lifting. We search a database of 15 million candidates, rank a shortlist in under 30 seconds and manage the process end to end, from first contact to a booked interview. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. Tell Reed.ai what the role needs and we'll surface matched people today.
