By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune Managing Editor
The Amazon Fulfillment Center on Worldwide Boulevard in Hebron needs workers – a lot of them.
Nina Lindsey, corporate communications manager for Amazon, said the company is looking to significantly increase the number of its full-time employees in Northern Kentucky.
“We have more than 500 full-time employees at the fulfillment center right now and the big news is that we are hiring for 500 more fulltime employees in this region” Lindsey said. “We actually have multiple facilities here in Hebron, with a sortation center down the road and some support facilities here, too.”
Amazon traditionally hires thousands of seasonal employees during the peak holiday season. Some of those workers eventually are elevated to permanent status, but Amazon is now seeking workers that will be hired in for full-time positions.
Employees at the Hebron Fulfillment Center pick, pack, and ship orders to customers of the online retail giant nationwide. The facility includes about 1 million square feet of warehouse space.
“This facility is pretty much a mirror image of itself, so everything on the left and everything on the right is exactly the same,” Lindsey said.
The full-time positions that are available in Hebron include comprehensive benefits that begin on the first day of employment. That includes health care with medical, dental and vision, a 401-K with a 50 percent match, and bonuses.
In 2012, Amazon also implemented a program called Career Choice that reimburses 95 percent of tuition for associates that go back to school in fields that are in high demand, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The field does not have to be related to their position at Amazon.
“We have multiple employees here that are taking advantage of that and are choosing, either to continue their career here and move up, or they are pursuing other fields entirely,” Lindsey said. “It benefits us because it attracts great quality talent – people that want to be here and help or promote themselves.”
Fulfilment center employees work four, ten-hour shifts, with a lunch period and two breaks. Shifts vary based on company and employee needs and there is a differential for evening shifts.
Amazon also has a program called Kaizen that encourages employee participation to help improve its operations.
“Kaizen is a Japanese term that means continuous improvement or change for the better, and that’s something that we really believe in here at Amazon” Lindsey said. “We do Kaizens regularly throughout the year and in this facility we have actually won awards for them.”
During a Kaizen, employees are asked to step away from their normal job responsibilities and work with managers, engineers, and other staff members to pick apart the company’s processes and try to find a way to improve them. It can be anything from examining how a device works to redesigning the flow of the distribution system.
Recently, Hebron Fulfillment Center employee Kimberly Cross of Burlington, noticed that longer apparel items such as gowns or winter coats would touch the ground. Cross helped develop a new type of garment rack to keep those items from dragging on the floor.
“She actually worked with a team that designed the product itself, tested out multiple prototypes and then rolled out manufacture and mass production across multiple facilities worldwide,” Lindsey said. “That’s pretty cool that it happened right here in this facility. We offer company internal awards and there are big celebrations, so they are incentivized.”
There are several million products in the Hebron facility, which focuses primarily on apparel distribution, but also includes other items.
Unlike some distribution facilities which sort merchandise by product line, Amazon uses a sophisticated tracking system that allows employees to stock items based on available space. A pair of gold-toe socks for example, might be stocked in the same bin as a cosmetic kit.
Scanners track the item, identify its location and automatically make it available for sale at Amazon.com. Associates also do not pick items based on a customer’s complete order. Because customers might order several items from locations throughout the distribution facility, employees are only responsible for picking the items from orders that are located in their section.
“That is the most efficient path for the items and our systems are constantly optimizing that path to make it as efficient as possible,” Lindsey said. “Items are scanned again when they are picked to help ensure each customer gets the correct merchandise.
Amazon receives products from vendors, manufacturers and third-party or small businesses that are company-approved. A program called Fulfillment by Amazon allows those businesses to sell products that are stored, packed and shipped at the facility through Amazon.com.
Items are sent through several miles of conveyor belts from the receiving area to be stocked and back to the packing area for shipping after they have been purchased.
An associate scans the item at the shipping area, which verifies the order and identifies the appropriate packaging for shipping, to avoid unnecessary costs. A scan, label, apply and manifest (SLAM) machine completes the packaging process. If the SLAM machine denotes an irregularity, such as a weight that is not consistent with what is being shipped, the order is kicked off the line and manually verified by an employee.
“This is a great example of our associates utilizing all of the technology we have been developing over the last 20 years,” Lindsey said. “It’s how we are able to deliver to our customers so quickly and accurately.”
The salary range for new employees varies, based on experience, but Lindsey said the average pay for entry-level positions at Amazon is 30 percent more than traditional retail jobs.
“We’re looking to hire a lot of people very quickly due to an increase in customer demand,” Lindsey said.
Applicants must be at least 18-years old and successfully pass a background check. Amazon also has a high number of former military personnel employed in the Hebron area and there is a companywide initiative to encourage veterans and their spouses to apply.
Amazon recently completed a job fair at the Double Tree by Hilton hotel in Hebron and has another scheduled at the same location from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 16. Those who attend the job fair could walk away with a job offer.
Prospective employees can also apply online at www.workatamazonfulfillment.com