Occupation · SOC 53-1042
First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of helpers, laborers, or material movers, hand.
Median wage
—
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
—
Job Zone 2
Typical preparation
Some preparation
Stackable credential programs
1 mapped
Core skills
CoordinationManagement of Personnel ResourcesSpeakingActive ListeningComplex Problem SolvingTime ManagementCritical ThinkingMonitoring
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceProduction and ProcessingAdministration and ManagementMechanicalComputers and Electronics
Technology & tools
Office suite softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareEnterprise resource planning ERP softwareInventory management softwareData base user interface and query software
Representative tasks
Maintain a safe working environment by monitoring safety procedures and equipment.Collaborate with workers and managers to solve work-related problems.Review work throughout the work process and at completion to ensure that it has been performed properly.Inform designated employees or departments of items loaded or problems encountered.Inspect equipment for wear and for conformance to specifications.Prepare and maintain work records and reports of information such as employee time and wages, daily receipts, or inspection results.Transmit and explain work orders to laborers.Plan work schedules and assign duties to maintain adequate staff for effective performance of activities and response to fluctuating workloads.Participate in the hiring process by reviewing credentials, conducting interviews, or making hiring decisions or recommendations.Estimate material, time, and staffing requirements for a given project, based on work orders, job specifications, and experience.Counsel employees in work-related activities, personal growth, or career development.Assess training needs of staff and arrange for or provide appropriate instruction.Conduct staff meetings to relay general information or to address specific topics, such as safety.Check specifications of materials loaded or unloaded against information contained in work orders.Perform the same work duties as those supervised, or perform more difficult or skilled tasks or assist in their performance.Resolve personnel problems, complaints, or formal grievances when possible, or refer them to higher-level supervisors for resolution.Recommend or initiate personnel actions, such as promotions, transfers, or disciplinary measures.Evaluate employee performance and prepare performance appraisals.Examine freight to determine loading sequences.Schedule times of shipment and modes of transportation for materials.Inventory supplies and requisition or purchase additional items, as necessary.Quote prices to customers.Provide assistance in balancing books, tracking, monitoring, or projecting a unit's budget needs, and in developing unit policies and procedures.Inspect job sites to determine the extent of maintenance or repairs needed.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Safety procedures and personal protective equipment — follow and monitor under direct supervision on a warehouse or loading dock.Work orders from supervisors — receive, read, and relay to laborers using clear verbal instructions on a shift floor.Basic equipment condition — inspect for visible wear or damage before use, following a standard checklist on a material-moving site.Completed work tasks — review against step-by-step instructions at the end of a shift to confirm basic conformance to standards.Daily time records for crew members — enter accurately into a paper log or basic time-accounting software under supervisor guidance.Work-related problems encountered by laborers — identify and report promptly to the appropriate manager or department.Loaded or delivered items — confirm quantities and communicate discrepancies to the designated department using standard forms.Oral directions from managers — listen actively and ask clarifying questions to ensure accurate understanding before delegating tasks.Worker task assignments — assist in distributing routine duties across a small crew under close oversight during a standard shift.Office suite and scheduling tools — use at a basic level to view shift calendars and complete simple work reports in a warehouse setting.
developing
Safe working environment — maintain throughout a shift by conducting routine safety checks and correcting minor hazards on a distribution or freight site.Work orders and job instructions — interpret and explain to laborers with minimal supervision, adapting communication style to crew comprehension levels.Equipment wear and specification compliance — inspect systematically and document findings using inspection forms or inventory management software.Work quality — review at multiple stages of a material-handling process to identify errors and direct corrections before completion.Employee time and wage records — prepare and submit accurately using time-accounting or ERP software on a recurring daily or weekly basis.Fluctuating workload demands — respond by adjusting duty assignments and break schedules to sustain adequate crew coverage during peak periods.Work-related problems involving laborers or workflow — collaborate with workers and department managers to diagnose causes and implement practical solutions.Item loading or delivery status — track and communicate to receiving departments using electronic mail or database query tools in a logistics environment.Crew performance during a shift — monitor using active observation and informal feedback, noting attendance, pace, and task accuracy.Written shift reports and incident summaries — produce clearly and on schedule using word processing software for review by operations management.
proficient
Full shift safety compliance — enforce autonomously by conducting unannounced inspections, coaching unsafe behaviors, and escalating systemic risks in a high-volume freight facility.Complex work scheduling — plan and optimize crew assignments across multiple crews or shifts using scheduling software to balance workload and minimize overtime.Non-routine operational problems — resolve independently by applying critical thinking and drawing on knowledge of production processes and material-handling systems.Work records and operational reports — prepare, validate, and submit comprehensive documentation including daily receipts, inspection results, and labor costs using ERP or spreadsheet software.Equipment conformance issues — assess against specifications, recommend maintenance or replacement, and coordinate with maintenance teams to minimize downtime.Performance feedback to laborers — deliver constructively and consistently, applying instructing and social perceptiveness skills to improve individual and team output.Cross-functional communication — serve as primary liaison between frontline laborers and operations or logistics managers, translating work priorities in both directions.Crew staffing adequacy — evaluate against fluctuating throughput demands and proactively negotiate with HR or department heads to adjust headcount or shift structure.Information ordering and deductive reasoning — apply to sequence task assignments logically, anticipating downstream bottlenecks in a material-moving or warehouse operation.Safety and compliance records — maintain accurate long-term documentation to support audits, insurance reviews, and regulatory inspections in a transportation or warehousing context.
advanced
Supervisory standards and safe-work culture — set across multiple crews or sites by developing protocols, leading safety briefings, and holding all supervisors accountable in a large distribution operation.Workforce planning strategy — direct by forecasting labor needs, partnering with HR on hiring pipelines, and designing shift structures that sustain performance under sustained high-volume conditions.First-line supervisor development — lead by mentoring emerging and developing supervisors, designing on-the-job learning plans, and evaluating their readiness for greater responsibility.Organizational problem-solving — champion cross-departmental initiatives that address recurring workflow, communication, or equipment failures affecting material-moving productivity at scale.ERP and workforce management systems — guide adoption and configuration across the supervisory team, ensuring consistent data entry practices that support enterprise-level reporting.Operational performance metrics — establish measurable standards for throughput, accuracy, and safety, and use data from spreadsheet and database tools to drive continuous improvement decisions.Labor relations and crew negotiations — navigate complex staffing disputes, schedule conflicts, and productivity concerns with integrity and self-control, modeling cooperative leadership behavior.Policy and procedure documentation — author and maintain standardized operating procedures, safety manuals, and training materials used across the department or facility.Senior management communication — present operational performance summaries, staffing recommendations, and risk assessments using presentation and reporting tools to executive or regional leadership.Organizational safety and compliance posture — lead by integrating public safety knowledge into daily operations, responding to regulatory changes, and building a measurable culture of dependability and attention to detail.
Also known as
225 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
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