Warehousing programs deliver for Morrisons: …

and support supermarket’s “can do” culture

an article published in Human Resource Management International Digest (Volume 19 Issue 5 (2011))

Abstract

Purpose
Describes two award-winning training programs for warehouse employees at UK supermarket Morrisons.
Design/methodology/approach
Explains the reasons for the programs, the form they took and the results they have achieved.
Findings
Details how Morrisons trained 800 new staff in six months with the skills to operate a large new warehouse designed to deliver fresh produce to up to 65 supermarkets in Southern England. Also describes how Morrisons trained more than 3,000 of its warehouse staff across the UK to use a voice-controlled warehouse picking system.
Practical implications
Reveals that the two programs have helped the company to achieve huge efficiencies.
Social implications
Highlights the way in which the first of the two programs provided warehousing skills for employees who largely lacked experience of working in this type of environment.
Originality/value
Reveals how the programs supported the “can do” culture that prevails at Morrisons.

---