Working together to get the job done
An office job isn’t ideal for everybody. For Kaylee Dahl, her decision to move away from the desk and into a warehouse role—one in which she can work on her feet and collaborate with a team to make sure IPEX orders are received and shipped on time—has been key to a more fulfilling workday.
Distribution over desk work
Before joining the IPEX team in November 2021 as a warehouse associate and machine operator in the Salt Lake City distribution centre, Kaylee was employed at a call centre. However, she soon discovered that a job that involved sitting at a desk all day didn’t suit her.
That’s when her father, who already worked at this location, told her the warehouse was hiring.
She applied, beginning as a picker, then soon moved into a receiving role and never looked back.
“What I do is the receiving end of it, where I unload and load trucks and put away everything that comes in,” she says.
“The hours are nice, and everything’s pretty laid back,” adds Kaylee. “If you ever need time off, it’s easy to go and talk to [the manager] and see if you’re able to. As long as you give him a couple days in advance, he’s usually pretty good about that stuff, especially if it’s a family emergency.”
The importance of teamwork
Over and above the favorable work schedule, Kaylee loves working with a close-knit team of co-workers in the warehouse. Everyone helps each other, she says, working together to get the job done.
“Basically, there’s the receiving, and then there’s the pickers and then there’s management in the office,” she says.
“The receivers help the pickers grab things out of the shelves, and the pickers help us if we need something. Management will come and help us if we’re behind on anything, like helping load trucks or putting away things if we have a lot on our plate.”
Achieving goals together
Late last year Kaylee had her proudest moment yet in distribution when she received and handled an order of six truckloads — in shipping terms, the order was over 300% more than their usual volume, she explains. An order this large meant Kaylee and the team were working together for a couple of weeks to get it sent out.
“I’ve gotten the highest percentage here on an order, and it’s been fun,” she says.
In her short time at IPEX, Kaylee has already moved from a picker to a receiving role — and she sees the chance for further career growth within distribution.
“I’ve just been trying to move up, but there’s a lot of growth opportunities here, I think.”
Collaboration and communication for warehouse success
Ultimately, for anyone starting out in the warehouse, it’s important to be bold and ask questions, Kaylee says—both for building your own knowledge and to ensure the team’s process can continue to run smoothly.
“It makes it a lot easier for everyone. If you just ask us questions, everyone here is super nice and willing to help,” says Kaylee. “If someone’s actually too busy for something, they’ll get someone else over to help. Always ask questions!”
To read more news and views from IPEX employees, visit the Employee Perspectives blog.