Episode 473: Warehouse Staffing: A deep dive with Traba’s Read Egger

Posted on Mar 28, 2024

In this episode of The New Warehouse, Kevin is joined by Read Egger, the Head of Growth Operations and Go-To-Market at Traba. This innovative company is tackling the persistent challenges of staffing in the warehousing sector by merging technological solutions with thorough vetting processes, ensuring the delivery of not just any staff, but the right staff. Traba’s approach addresses critical staffing issues, leveraging technology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of warehouse operations. The conversation with Read provides valuable insights into how Traba is setting new standards in staffing solutions.

Transforming Warehouse Staffing Through Technology

Read explains, Traba is not your typical staffing agency. It’s a tech-enabled labor marketplace focusing on the light industrial sector, aiming to match the right workers with the right jobs. “We are a tech-enabled labor marketplace that specifically focuses on serving light industrial clients and light industrial workers,” Read explains. This approach not only streamlines the staffing process but ensures a higher quality of temporary labor by closely matching worker skills with client needs. “Our foundation is rooted in building products that help workers and businesses achieve their highest level of productivity when using temporary labor with a level of operational support not seen in staffing in general.”

The Vetting Process: Ensuring Quality and Fit

One of the cornerstones of Traba’s success is its rigorous vetting process. “You have to go through a background check…federal, county, global watch list, sex offender check all those things just to enter our labor supply,” Beyond background checks, Traba conducts interviews and on-job evaluations to verify worker skills and fit, setting a high bar for staffing quality in the industry. In cases where specialized skills or experience are necessary, like driving a stand-up forklift, the vetting process is critical. “It’s all those factors of vetting and clearly communicated expectations that flow into having a good end result for the worker and the business.”

Future Directions: Data-Driven Workforce Solutions

Looking ahead, Traba is set on becoming a vital component in the broader supply chain by leveraging data for labor management systems and demand planning. “And then from there, becoming more of an integral component of the greater supply chain,” Read shares, highlighting the ambition to integrate Traba’s solutions into larger operational frameworks, thus optimizing labor efficiency and productivity at a grander scale.

Key Takeaways

• Traba is leveraging technology to solve traditional staffing issues in the warehousing sector.
• Their rigorous vetting process ensures that only qualified and suitable workers match client needs.
• Traba is looking towards the future by using data-driven solutions to enhance labor efficiency and supply chain operations further.