A day in the life of…Sharon Williams, Team Leader at Leamington Spa

Sharon joined Fullers Fulfilment three years ago, bringing with her a host of experience and transferable skills from a career in manufacturing. Sharon shares why she likes fulfilment and what a typical day looks like as Team Leader.

Q What does your role as Team Leader entail?

A I basically oversee a team of five at our Leamington Spa warehousing site. Working across four customers in different industries, I work with my team to make sure all the orders are professionally picked, packed and despatched in a timely manner and correctly. I also deal with inbound stock, ensuring the warehouse space is organised properly, managing batch dates and restocking when needed.

Q What do you like about working in fulfilment?

A I love the fact that it’s so fast paced and you’re performing a number of tasks – you’re never just doing the same thing. In manufacturing, where I spent a good deal of my career, things can be quite repetitive. But in a more dynamic environment like fulfilment, you’re doing different things. You’re also experiencing different challenges and finding solutions to them which keeps you sharp.

Q What does a typical day look like?

A A fairly typical day sees me coming in first thing and looking at the orders that need to go out. I then prioritise the orders based on which of our couriers comes to site first, size of the order and what needs to be done to the order. For example, some of the orders need labelling before they go out, so that part of the process needs to be taken into consideration.  And then I assign the orders to a member of the team.

Throughout the rest of the day I’ll check on the status of the orders, keeping track of whether they’ve been picked and packed, and making sure we’re on time for our cut-off times, different for each customer, and then despatching them in a timely manner.

I also work closely with customer service to clear up any issues that may arise and ensure we’ve got the right stock levels for each customer.

Q What three characteristics do you think are vital for your job?

A I’d have to say respect – you need to be respectful of your colleagues, your team and customers in order to get things done and to be respected. You also need to be authoritative, be able to take charge, assess situations and put people to work. And finally, work ethic. For me, it’s really important that you care about the customers you work with, the orders and of course the people around you.

Q Why do you like working at Fullers?

A It is a great place to work! I like the variety of the job, the fact you’re treated respectfully, and everyone is kind and friendly. Overall, it’s a good atmosphere.

Q What advice would you give to someone considering a career in fulfilment?

A I’d say take your time. Especially when you’re new! Take your time in picking your orders, making sure everything is right. Get to know the clients and the process. And attention to detail! That is essential in picking and packing.

Q When you’re not working, what do you like to do?

A My partner and I both have large families, so we spend a lot of time with them and our friends. We do enjoy a day at the (horse) races! And any opportunity to get down to the coast we take.

Back to News