Attitude over Experience

Welcome back to Warehouse and Operations as a Career. I’m your host, Marty T Hawkins. Today, I want to talk about something I’ve heard repeatedly over the years, but especially over the past few weeks, and that is the growing importance of, lets see, what am I going to call it, attitude over experience, in the light industrial world.

We’ve spoke to attitude a couple of times recently but just this week, I had two different customers say almost the same thing to me. They both told me something like, yes, experience is important. But if you come across an applicant with a great attitude and a strong personality, set them up for an interview. That statement says a lot about where our industry is at, and it’s what I’d like to talk about today.

Now, everything we’ve learned over the course of the last 349 episodes, today is number 350 by the way, everything we’ve learned remains true. Our experience absolutely matters. Safety always matters and our skill and competency to perform our task matters.

But what we’re seeing more and more is that experience alone is no longer enough. For a long time, hiring in the fields of warehousing, manufacturing, and distribution was simple. We’d be asked if we could do the job? Had we done the job before? And could we hit the numbers? And if the answer was yes, you were probably getting hired. Today, that model doesn’t always work. Like we discussed over the last quarter, operations have changed. Expectations have changed. And the type of associate who succeeds long-term has changed as well.

Two weeks ago on one of our ask me anything shows, what was that title, Not my job and a raise. We discussed how Warehouses today are not one-task environments anymore. Associates are expected to communicate clearly, be willing to learn new processes, cross-train into other roles, be willing to help cover gaps when staffing is tight, basically, wear more than one hat. We learned the phrase that’s not my job doesn’t hold much weight anymore, and frankly, it can be a career limiter. Because of that shift, I believe adaptability and mindset have become critical.

Operation teams feel you can train someone how to load a trailer, how to operate equipment, and train someone on picking procedures. But they feel, and they are correct, what’s much harder to train is willingness, coachability, accountability, positivity and a strong work ethic. That’s where attitude comes in.

Now when managers talk about attitude, they’re not talking about being overly cheerful or talkative. They’re talking about things like showing up on time, being willing to learn, and this one is a big one, accepting feedback without getting defensive. What else did I write down, lets see, communicating clearly and professionally. And here’s another thing we’ve spoken too, following safety rules even when no one is watching and helping teammates instead of competing against them. It’s been realized that these behaviors directly affect safety, productivity, and culture. A highly experienced associate with a poor attitude can do more damage to the team than someone brand new who wants to learn. They may ignore procedures, resist change, create friction on the floor, influence others negatively, and even push back against leadership. On the other hand, an associate with limited experience but a strong attitude often becomes one of the most valuable people on the team within just a few months.

I’m finding this is especially true in general labor roles, loading and unloading, order picking, packing and sorting, and any kind of material handling positions. These are physically demanding jobs. They require teamwork, pace, and focus. I’m seeing how a positive attitude in these roles shows up quickly with faster learning, better safety habits, better or consistent productivity, lower turnover, and stronger team morale.

Many supervisors will tell you this straight out, they would rather train someone who wants to be there than manage someone who knows the job but doesn’t care.

Now, let’s talk about skilled positions. Forklift operators, order selection, pallet runners, and production or manufacturing machine operators, these roles absolutely require training, experience, and a demonstrated skill. But even here, attitude matters more than many people realize. Operators today must communicate with leads and supervisors, follow system direction to a tee, and be able to adjust priorities throughout the shift, and again be willing to accept coaching, all while staying focused for long periods of time.

Kind of like we said earlier, an operator with a great attitude is one that takes pride in their work, protects their equipment, respects safety rules, and helps the team succeed. I threw that one in again because I feel in this new world, a team environment, it’s worth repeating! Those qualities are separating average operators from outstanding ones.

And I want to make this statement again, and we as employees and employers need to learn it, is that communication is one of the biggest reasons attitude has become so important. Warehouses today rely on radios, text alerts, shift meetings, safety huddles, and performance coaching and hand-offs between shifts. I think we’ve always walked through the motions but today, our responsibilities are more and the expectations are higher. We’re all learning, or maybe accepting, that associates who communicate well prevent problems before they happen. They ask questions. They speak up about safety. They clarify instructions and they don’t just assume. An HR manager shared with me, that he felt, that good communication usually stems from the right attitude, a willingness to listen and engage.

Another major shift of thought is the expectation that associates will continuously learn and want to learn. New systems, new customers, new equipment, and new processes mean the job is always evolving. The associates who succeed are the ones who embrace learning instead of resisting it. That same HR manager shared that a strong attitude toward learning looks like curiosity, patience during training, accepting mistakes as part of growth, and wanting to improve. He feels like experience without a learning mindset eventually becomes outdated. For recruiters and hiring managers, this shift changes how they evaluate candidates.

Yep, resumes matter, but they don’t tell the whole story. Behavioral questions matter more than ever. How do you handle learning something new? Tell me about a time you had to adapt. How do you respond to feedback? What motivates you at work? These kind of questions reveal mindset, and mindset predicts long-term success. We as applicants aren’t used to these types of questions. I guess in a way there’s our first opportunity to change our way of thinking! 

Ok, If you’re listening and you’re an applicant or associate, here’s the good news. Your attitude is your competitive advantage. You don’t need a perfect resume, and you may not need years of experience. But you do need or the new need is reliability, a willingness to learn, a strong respect for safety, and that professional communication, a positive mindset. Those behaviors get noticed quickly and they open doors.

To wrap up, I know that experience will always matter in the light industrial world. But today, attitude often is a determining factor in who gets hired, who gets promoted, and who builds a long-term career. In an industry built on teamwork, safety, communication, and constant movement, mindset fuels everything else. And right now, a great attitude is more valuable than ever.

If you enjoyed todays episode, share it with someone who’s entering the industry or looking to grow within it. Maybe urge them to subscribe on their favorite pod catcher or join us on Facebook or Instagram.

Today is a bit of a milestone for us, 350 episodes over about 7 years. We don’t promote sponsors because I like talking about what you send us vs what advertisers want shared! We’re operations folks, not audio experts but we try and do the best we can! Anyway, Thank you for listening and emailing your questions each week. By the way, we used to do quite a bit of interviewing on the show. Some software changed on us, but we’re going back to that format occasionally here pretty soon and we’re excited about that. Until next time, stay safe, stay professional, and keep learning. That’s what it’s all about.