The Right Mix of People and Robotics Wins Peak Season

Black Friday and the holiday rush are here, and they’re bringing the highest volumes, tightest timelines, and toughest SLAs of the year. For warehouse leaders, peak season success hinges on one question:

Are their operations resilient enough to handle the surge?

Most organizations already know automation can boost throughput and accuracy. But there’s 

still uncertainty around how automated technologies impact the people doing the work — especially during periods of intense pressure. Many leaders worry that automation can overwhelm their workforce or slow them down while they adjust.

So, we set out to see what workers really thought of working side by side with automation in our latest report “Warehouse Workers Sentiment: Understanding the Impact of Automation on Retention and Satisfaction.” 

The results were insightful, revealing that operators welcome automated solutions in the workplace, especially for the efficiency gains during the busiest time of the year.

Keep reading to understand the challenges of warehouse labor and how automation is working to recruit and retain warehouse operators — even during peak season.

Labor Shortages Push Peak Season Operations to Their Limit

For most organizations, the biggest barrier to meeting customer expectations during peak season is simple — there’s just not enough hands on deck. There’s a necessary threshold of operators for tasks like transporting incoming goods to storage bins or pallets, ensuring inventory is being stored accurately, picking outbound items, and more. However, they often have to fight to maintain their necessary headcount.

Even outside the holidays, warehouse work is physically intense and exhausting. In our survey: 

• Over a third of workers report a higher workload since early 2025
• Over a quarter felt more pressure to fulfill orders faster
• Heavy lifting and moving rank as the most disliked task

This strain comes with consequences. According to a U.S. Department of Labor audit, the warehouse industry has an injury and illness rate that’s over double all other industries.

Further, these conditions fuel one of the industry’s biggest challenges: retention. Nearly three-quarters of warehouse operators are having trouble filling employment gaps, and many organizations are struggling to retain employees. According to a 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics Report, there’s a staggering 53% annual turnover rate in warehousing, transportation, and utilities sectors.

By the time peak season rolls around,  teams are stretched thin, hours and expectations increase, and employees might reach their breaking point, which only leaves the remaining workers to shoulder more of the load. 

Warehouses need a new way to support their workforce, not only to survive peak season, but to thrive in it.

Robotics as a Talent Magnet 

One of the clearest findings from our research is that automation isn’t a deterrent for job seekers. It’s a draw. 

When we conducted our survey on automation in the warehouse, nine in ten workers said automation isn’t a hiring barrier. In fact, they considered working with automation to be a job perk. We found that they were three times more likely to prefer automated warehouses over avoiding them.

This is especially true for younger generations. Gen Z candidates are 33% more likely to accept a job when the company has clearly invested in technology to improve the workday.

Resource-intensive positions, where retaining talent is especially critical, feel the shift too. 54% of managers and those in operations say they are more likely to apply to a warehouse that has automation, rather than one that doesn’t.

When labor shortages strain operations, robotics help employers better create a workforce capable of peak-season performance.

Automation as a Retention Strategy for Peak Season

Attracting talent is only half the challenge. Keeping workers through the busiest months of the year is where automation can make its biggest impact. 

Warehouse robotics are designed to take on the most exhausting, strenuous tasks in the warehouse. The majority of workers in our latest report have shared that, thanks to automation, they are doing less heavy lifting and experiencing fewer workplace injuries.

This type of smarter, safer environment lends itself to a thriving workplace culture– over half the workers we surveyed shared that as their physically demanding work decreased, their job satisfaction increased. This sentiment rings true during peak season as well. Seven in ten workers agreed that warehouse automation made them less stressed when demand was at its highest.

When operators spend less time on repetitive tasks, they can focus on higher-value responsibilities like quality control, exception handling, or inventory accuracy. 

Working with automation provides meaningful financial benefits for operators too. Our report on automated warehouse workers found that:

• 49% saw pay increases
• 29% achieved bonuses more consistently
• 41% say they’re more likely to get promoted
• 25% are developing monetizable skills

Automated organizations have the advantage of providing a more supportive environment with better professional development, and they’ll be the ones seeing better employee retention during peak season.

The Big Picture: Automation Mitigates Talent Shortages and Peak Season Pressures

Warehouse workers value automation. It makes their jobs safer, workloads manageable, and carves out a career path that previously didn’t exist. 

For organizations navigating seasonal spikes, this means investing in automation isn’t just for operational excellence, it’s also a strategic investment in building a strong, resilient workforce.

Peak season will always bring pressure, but with the right balance of people and technology, warehouses can protect their most valuable asset– their workers. 

Want to learn more about how automation impacts warehouse workers? Access Exotec’s latest report “Warehouse Workers Sentiment: Understanding the Impact of Automation on Retention and Satisfaction.”