How to Find Employees

Last updated: September 2026

To find warehouse and production employees, make the job easy to evaluate, then recruit beyond the original posting. Put pay, shift and location first, compare compensation with the local market, use referrals and public workforce services, and give qualified applicants a clear next step promptly.

In July 2026 the Lehigh Valley's unemployment rate was 4.1%, down from 5.0% a year earlier, and the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre metro, which includes Hazleton, was at 4.7%, down from 5.4% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, preliminary, not seasonally adjusted).

At FIS Recruitment, we screen candidates before presenting them to employers, including a phone screen, interview and reference checks.

Why nobody is applying

Start by checking the offer and the application process. A smaller share of the local labor force is unemployed than a year ago, as the table below shows.

Metro unemployment rates reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, July 2026, with July 2025 comparisons. Both series are not seasonally adjusted.

Here, the Lehigh Valley figure refers to the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro. The Scranton-Wilkes-Barre metro includes Luzerne County, where Hazleton is located.

According to BLS's unemployment definition, these rates measure the unemployed share of the labor force. That share fell in both metros. The figures provide context, but they do not measure interest in your opening or explain why your particular post is quiet.

Audit the parts you control: pay compared with similar nearby jobs, missing shift details, a lengthy application, and unanswered applicants. If people apply but never reach an interview, investigate the handoff before spending more to promote the same post.

Fix the job post first

Put the information someone needs to assess the job at the beginning: pay, shift, hours, worksite, physical demands and expected start date. Write for the person deciding whether the work fits their life. Move the company history below the details needed to make that decision.

Review the opening lines against this checklist:

• Pay: State the approved range or rate, and explain any shift differential separately.
• Schedule: Give the working days and start and end times. Explain rotating schedules or expected overtime.
• Location: Identify the actual worksite, rather than only the corporate office.
• Work: Describe the duties and actual physical demands. Distinguish packing, loading, equipment operation and production tasks.
• Start: State the intended start date, employment arrangement and next step after applying.

Separate skills needed on arrival from skills you can teach. For a production opening, identify the equipment or process involved instead of relying on a broad title. Ask the supervisor to confirm that the description matches the work on the floor.

Then complete the application on a phone. Remove repeated questions and unnecessary early attachments. Keep the information needed to assess suitability, and make the submission confirmation explain how the applicant will hear back.

Check your pay against the local market

Compare your offer with the local occupation and the actual duties before deciding whether pay needs to change. Use a median as a reference point, then review the shift, required experience and benefits. A broad warehouse title is not enough to select the right comparison.

Look up the relevant occupation's hourly median in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 area estimates, selecting the metro that covers your worksite.

BLS defines the median as the midpoint: half of workers in the occupation earn more and half earn less. It is not a starting wage or an instruction about what your business should pay.

Compare current nearby openings with similar duties as well. Record differences in schedules and experience requirements. If your budget is fixed, examine whether the role combines tasks that could be separated or whether training could replace an unnecessarily narrow experience requirement. Keep the advertised offer accurate.

Where to find warehouse and production workers

Start with people who already know your operation, then add public workforce services and local outreach. Match each channel to the role instead of sending an identical vague request everywhere. Track where suitable applicants come from so your next hiring decision uses evidence from your own process.

• Current staff referrals: Ask employees to share the complete posting with people who might fit the work and schedule. Use the same screening criteria for referred and other applicants.
• Public workforce services: In Pennsylvania, PA CareerLink offers free job posting and recruitment assistance. For Long Island openings, use the New York State Job Bank through the state Department of Labor. New York also offers job posting at no cost. Ask for help matching candidates to the specific opening.
• Local boards and community groups: Use these for outreach around the worksite. Give permission to share the posting and provide a direct application route. Check each group's posting rules.
• Vocational and technical schools: Approach relevant programs for skilled production or maintenance roles. Describe the skills you need and ask about employer introductions, student availability and graduate recruitment.
• Former employees and seasonal staff: Contact people you would welcome back. Confirm their current interest and availability instead of assuming the previous arrangement still fits.
• A staffing agency: Consider outside recruiting and screening support when your own team cannot give the search enough attention or the need extends across several openings.

Keep the pay, schedule and duties consistent across channels. Record the source of each application, whether the person met the requirements, and the eventual outcome. Judge the channel by relevant candidates, not simply by message volume.

Speed decides who you get

Make prompt follow-up part of the hiring process: aim to respond the same day, arrange the necessary conversation, and explain the decision timeline. For hourly roles, use a single substantive interview when that is sufficient to assess the work. Decide beforehand who has authority to make an offer.

Give someone ownership of the inbox and assign backup coverage. A useful reply confirms the opening, checks availability and proposes the next step. Avoid an acknowledgment that leaves the applicant waiting without knowing what happens next.

Prepare the interview around the actual job: relevant experience, understanding of the duties, schedule fit and questions from the applicant. When the assessment and required checks are complete, make the offer on the spot if your process permits. Otherwise, give a realistic decision date and follow through.

If someone withdraws, record the reason when they volunteer it. Use that feedback to decide whether to revisit the schedule, offer or process.

When to bring in a staffing agency

Bring in an agency when several openings exceed your recruiting capacity, your required start date is earlier than your internal process can support, or you want to assess someone at work before considering a permanent role. Set the requirements clearly and ask what the agency can realistically support.

At FIS Recruitment, we phone screen, interview and check references before presenting candidates. Our temporary employees stay on our payroll while working for you. Read how we screen candidates, how temp to hire works, and what a staffing bill rate covers before choosing an arrangement.

Send the recruiter the same complete information you would put in a strong job post. Include the supervisor's expectations and distinguish essential skills from preferences. For local service details, see warehouse staffing in the Lehigh Valley and warehouse staffing in Hazleton.

Frequently asked questions

Choose the next hiring step by identifying where the process stalls: reaching people, explaining the job, evaluating applicants or making a decision. The answers below give you a starting point for each situation, including when to revisit compensation and when to ask for recruiting support.

Need warehouse or production staff in the Lehigh Valley, Hazleton or Long Island?

Give us the role, worksite, schedule and intended start date so we can discuss your hiring needs. At FIS Recruitment, we can explain our screening process and temporary staffing arrangements, then talk through the information needed to begin a search for your warehouse or production operation.

Contact FIS Recruitment at 800.248.8687 or info@fisrecruitment.com, or open a requisition.