Logistics is one of the sectors moving fastest on technology, and that's starting to reshape who depots hire and why. Research for government found 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. When automation and safety systems arrive on the floor, the skills a depot needs change with them.
There's plenty of room to grow, too. The UK ranks just 24th in global robotics density, and targeted innovation and digital investment could add £150 billion to the UK's GDP by 2035 Making it Smarter: Global Lessons for Accelerating Automation and Digital Adoption in UK Manufacturing - Make UK. The scale of that gap tells you something important: more depots will invest in automation and safety technology, and more of them will be hiring people to run it well.
The starting point is low by international standards. 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. As that number climbs, the people working beside the machines become the deciding factor in whether a depot runs safely and well.
Automation doesn't just replace tasks: it reshapes jobs. Six in ten (59%) manufacturers cited automation and half (50%) cited 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 – 2030 Skills: Closing the Gap. In a depot, that means more value on problem-solving, judgement and the ability to read a safety system, and less on repetitive lifting alone.
Many employers are choosing to build these skills from within. Some 40% of manufacturers are looking to upskill their existing workforce, specifically for redeployment as a result of automation and digitalisation, and this figure increases for firms with more than 1,000 employees Make UK Executive Survey 2026. For depot managers, that's a clear signal: plan for roles that move people towards monitoring, maintaining and improving safety technology, not away from work altogether.
Start by writing the role around the technology on your floor, not the role you hired for five years ago. If a depot is adding automation and safety systems, say so in the advert and describe the day-to-day: who monitors the alerts, who steps in, who keeps people safe around the machines. Clear expectations attract people who want to grow into the work.
Then weigh potential alongside experience. With cognitive and meta-cognitive skills set to matter more by 2030 Make UK – 2030 Skills: Closing the Gap, a sharp, safety-minded person who learns fast can be a stronger hire than someone with a longer but narrower record. Ask about how people handle the unexpected, spot risk and work in a team. Those answers predict depot performance better than a tick-list of past tasks.
Finally, move quickly and keep people informed. Good logistics people have options, so a slow or silent process loses them. Shortlist on the skills that matter, book interviews promptly, and give every applicant a clear answer. Speed and courtesy protect both your hire rate and your reputation in a tight sector.
The right recruitment agent helps logistics employers find the right person fast, searching a database of 15 million people and ranking a shortlist on the skills your depot actually needs. 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. If you're hiring for a depot that's investing in safety technology, tell us what good looks like and we'll help you find them today.
