Name, company details, and some experience specifics have been changed to protect personal data. The structure and content of the dialog reflect a real screening interaction with a candidate who applied via LinkedIn.
Tom van der Berg
Hi there. I came across the Warehouse Operations Manager role and applied — I've been managing warehouse operations in the Rotterdam port area for 6 years. Would be great to learn more about the position
16:05
Recruiter Assistant
Hi Tom, thanks for applying! The Rotterdam port experience is very relevant. Can you tell me more about your current setup — what kind of operations are you managing?
16:07
Tom van der Berg
I manage a 15,000 sqm distribution center for a 3PL company. We handle fulfillment for about 30 e-commerce clients — mostly fashion and consumer electronics. Team of 55 full-time plus 20-30 temps during peak season
16:10
Tom van der Berg
We process around 12,000 orders per day on average, 25k+ during Black Friday and holiday peaks
16:11
Recruiter Assistant
12k orders daily across 30 clients — that's a complex operation. What WMS are you running?
16:13
Tom van der Berg
Manhattan Associates WMS. I actually led the implementation 3 years ago — migrated from a legacy system that was basically Excel spreadsheets and paper pick lists
16:15
Tom van der Berg
Took 6 months from requirements to go-live. Error rate dropped from 2.8% to 0.4% after implementation
16:16
Recruiter Assistant
From 2.8% to 0.4% is a significant improvement. How do you manage the team across different shifts?
16:18
Tom van der Berg
We run 2 shifts — 6am to 2pm and 2pm to 10pm. I have 2 shift supervisors reporting to me. I'm usually on-site for the morning shift and handle the afternoon shift through the supervisor with a daily debrief call
16:21
Tom van der Berg
Peak season we add a night shift. I hire and train the temp staff through 3 agencies — have good relationships with all of them
16:22
Recruiter Assistant
Solid structure. How do you handle the ramp-up of temporary staff — what's your lead time?
16:24
Tom van der Berg
Typically start planning 8 weeks before peak. Work with the agencies to pre-screen candidates, run a 2-day onboarding program. We've got it pretty streamlined — I can onboard 30 people in a week if needed
16:27
Tom van der Berg
The key is having clear SOPs for every station. When the process is documented well, temps get productive by day 3
16:28
Recruiter Assistant
SOPs are critical at scale. Tell me about a major operational challenge you've dealt with recently.
16:29
Tom van der Berg
Had a situation last October — one of our biggest clients (fashion retailer, 40% of our volume) launched a flash sale without warning us. Normally they do 800 orders/day but suddenly we got 4,500 in one afternoon
16:49
Tom van der Berg
Mobilized 15 extra staff within 4 hours through our agency contacts, reorganized the pick paths to prioritize their orders, set up an express packing station. Got everything shipped within the SLA — 24 hour delivery promise
16:50
Tom van der Berg
After that I implemented a forecasting protocol — clients now have to give us 48 hour notice for promotions above 2x normal volume. Contractual requirement
16:51
Recruiter Assistant
Quick response and then fixing the root cause — that's exactly the right approach. What's your experience with automation and technology in the warehouse?
16:53
Tom van der Berg
We use pick-to-light on our high-velocity stations, barcode scanning everywhere, and recently piloted AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) for zone replenishment. The AMR pilot reduced replenishment time by 35%
16:56
Tom van der Berg
I'm not the guy who wants to automate everything though. Sometimes the ROI isn't there, especially for lower volume clients. You need to pick your battles
16:57
Recruiter Assistant
Pragmatic view on automation. The role involves setting up a new distribution center from scratch — have you been involved in greenfield warehouse projects?
16:59
Tom van der Berg
Yes, my current warehouse was actually a greenfield when I joined. Empty box — I designed the layout, racking configuration, flow paths, WMS setup, the whole thing
17:02
Tom van der Berg
If I'm honest it was the most exciting project of my career. Building from zero vs optimizing existing is a completely different game
17:03
Recruiter Assistant
That experience is exactly what we need. What are your salary expectations for a role like this?
17:05
Tom van der Berg
I'm currently on €65k base plus bonus. For a new greenfield project I'd expect something similar or slightly above, depending on scope and benefits package
17:07
Recruiter Assistant
That's within range. Tom, your experience is very strong — the combination of 3PL operations at scale, WMS implementation, greenfield setup, and pragmatic approach to automation is exactly what the client is looking for. I'll present your profile and get back to you with next steps within the week.
17:09
Tom van der Berg
Great, appreciate it. Quick question — can you tell me what company it is, or is that confidential at this stage?
17:11
Recruiter Assistant
It's confidential for now, but I can share that it's a fast-growing e-commerce fulfillment company expanding into the Benelux market. Once we move to the interview stage, you'll get the full picture.
17:13
Tom van der Berg
Fair enough. Looking forward to hearing back!
17:14
Screening Result
Shortlist — Recommended for Interview
6 years managing 15,000 sqm 3PL distribution center, team of 55+ FTE. Led WMS implementation (Manhattan Associates, error rate 2.8%→0.4%). Greenfield warehouse setup experience — designed layout, racking, flow paths from empty box. Crisis management proven (4,500-order surge, resolved within SLA). AMR pilot (35% improvement). Salary expectations aligned.