ExamopotamiaWhy test warehouse skills before you hire?
Warehouse hiring is often high volume and fast, especially before peak season, and interviews tend to be short. That makes it easy to miss the basics: whether a candidate knows how to lift safely, what to do about a spill, or why the oldest stock goes out first. Mistakes in these areas lead to injuries, mis-picks and stock that does not match the system. A short online test, taken on a phone before the first shift trial, filters out people who have not thought about these things.
What this template covers
- Health and safety: safe lifting, spills, protective equipment and who may drive a forklift.
- Stock rotation: FIFO for general stock and FEFO for dated products.
- Picking accuracy: scanning or checking full codes and reporting count discrepancies.
- Goods-in and loading: recording damaged deliveries and building stable pallets.
- Hazard reporting: what to do when racking has been hit.
How to run it well
Keep it short. Twelve questions with a ten minute timer is plenty, and the test works well on a mobile phone, which is how many warehouse applicants will take it. A pass mark of 70% is sensible, but treat the safety questions as essential: a candidate who would keep loading damaged racking needs a conversation even if their total score passes.
Write the questions in plain language and avoid jargon your applicants may not know yet; the template already does this. Shuffle answer options, and send the test as soon as someone applies, so you can invite the best candidates to a site visit or trial shift within a day or two.
Who this test is for
Use it for warehouse operatives, pickers and packers, goods-in and dispatch staff, stock controllers at entry level, and temporary or seasonal workers. Staffing agencies can send it to their candidate pool before placing people on a client site, and supervisors can use it as a refresher check after induction training.
Make it yours
Add questions on your own site: the scanner or warehouse system you use, your one-way routes and pedestrian walkways, how returns are handled, and your emergency procedures. If your site handles chilled, hazardous or high-value goods, add questions on the extra checks those need. You can translate the test into the languages your workforce speaks, and every question can be edited or removed before you send it.