Logistics is one of the sectors moving fastest on automation. Retail and logistics were already actively integrating AI to improve customer insights and streamline functions such as inventory management and supply chains according to GOV.UK's AI Adoption Research. That shift changes what warehouse teams do day to day, and it changes who you need to hire.
The wider demand picture is substantial. Across AI-related occupations, the net change ranges from approximately 696,000 jobs in the automation scenario to 1,072,000 in the technological opportunities scenario, with replacement demand rising from 3,077,000 to 3,193,000 jobs as set out in GOV.UK's labour market and skills projections. For logistics employers, that means a growing pool of roles that blend operational know-how with comfort around new tools.
There's 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 Make UK estimates. The UK used only 101 robots per 10,000 workers in 2020, which substantially lags international peers the GOV.UK Smart Machines Strategy 2035 reports. The warehouses that pull ahead now will need people who can work alongside automation, not instead of it.
Think of it as a split. Agents take the repeatable, high-volume, data-heavy tasks: cycle counts, inventory reconciliation, stock-level alerts and supply-chain tracking. Those are exactly the functions already being streamlined through AI in logistics GOV.UK's AI Adoption Research notes. When a count runs cleanly in the background, your team isn't tied to a clipboard.
People keep the calls. That means the supervisor deciding how to recover a late shipment, the team leader calming a frustrated client, the planner weighing two bad options and picking the least bad one. It also means the roles that supervise and maintain the machines. As AI adoption grows, replacement demand for people stays high GOV.UK's projections show, so the human roles don't disappear. They move up the value chain towards judgement, relationships and exceptions.
Start by writing the job for the split. Separate the tasks an agent can own from the decisions a person must make, then hire for the second list. Look for judgement under pressure, clear communication and the willingness to work with new tools, because adoption is already widespread across the sector GOV.UK's AI Adoption Research shows.
Second, hire for adaptability over a fixed task list. With demand across AI-related occupations rising into the hundreds of thousands of roles per GOV.UK's labour market projections, the people you bring in now will see their day-to-day change more than once. Someone who learns fast and handles exceptions well is worth more than someone who only knows today's process.
Third, move quickly. Warehouse peaks are unforgiving, and a slow process loses good people to faster employers. Define the role, agree who makes the final call, and keep your shortlist tight so you can book interviews within days, not weeks.
This is where we fit. We search a database of 15 million candidates to find people who can handle the calls while your agents handle the counts, and we manage the process end to end: sourcing, ranking, contacting and booking interviews. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. Tell us the role today and Reed.ai will get a shortlist moving.
