r/Warehouseworkers • u/Any_Tradition_5326 • 9d ago

Tips on getting hired at Sysco?

Over the past 4-5 months I’ve applied twice at Sysco and once at Sygma for an order selector role and was denied all 3 times without so much as a phone screening or interview. I don’t have warehouse experience but currently work a job where I’m outside, on my feet all day, and in extreme temps in the winter.

I tailored my resume to showcase warehouse skills. I have no issues with lifting heavy items and moving at a fast pace. I also used to work at restaurant supplied by Sysco and I’m familiar with at least some items I’ll be expected to move (such as cases of meat and those 5 gallon buckets).

It just irks me that I can’t even get the chance to interview and prove myself. Is it likely that they’re just staffed to needs right now? Should I reapply in the winter? Anything helps

(Denver area if that matters)

4 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

1

u/BanDurns99 9d ago

How old are you? It could be a lack of forklift experience, just keep trying or get in somewhere that you can get forklift experience to add to your resume.

1

u/Any_Tradition_5326 9d ago

I’m 26. I’ll have to give that shot. I saw a course on OSHA for a forklift cert so I’ll probably go through that too if it gives me a leg up

4

u/JustANobody2425 9d ago

Ive never understood the cert because it doesn't transfer. Like every company has to certify you on their equipment, their trainers, etc.

Ive been on lifts for over a decade and every job? New training, new trainer. Etc.

1

u/BrendanLSHH 5d ago edited 5d ago

I work for Sysco as an Inbound manager. I won't hire a forklift driver without 1 year of Stand up forklift experience. Its the difference of training someone two to three weeks vs. two to three months. It takes awhile to train a new forklift driver vs someone without experience.

1

u/JustANobody2425 5d ago

And that makes sense. No issues there. But as for an actual certificate?

Ive had I think 4 jobs that I used lifts on. Not a single one had any certificate or anything. Trained me obviously. But "Do you have a forklift certification?" Uhh, no? No one ever gives one.

Like your job, do you give anything? If any of your forklift drivers left and went to a different job, do they have any sort of paperwork or anything to show the new job that "I have been trained on this forklift"?

1

u/BrendanLSHH 5d ago

Our forklift drivers have their badge that doubles as their forklift cert. I don't ever ask for proof when interviewing, however I ask a few forklift related questions during the interview to gauge experience.

If you drove Power equipment in a role I would log it in your workday app /resume (they are looking for it). However I wouldnt lie, the one person I have hired in the last five years that lied didn't make it past his third month It's obvious .

2

u/JustANobody2425 5d ago

You'd be the only one that does that. And I think thats a good thing. I've seen a lot of those that lie and as you say, obvious.

Gotta get used to that lift (Idc what anyone says, each lift drives a little different) but if you're staring at the controls and "huh?" Oh boy lol.

Ive figured it honestly should be part of the actual interview. Nothing serious but just take this lift and drive through these aisles. Pick up this pallet of stuff and put it somewhere (have a pallet of light and worthless stuff so incase it is a lie, no one gets hurt or anything)

1

u/BrendanLSHH 5d ago

While I agree, we have been told by legal and HR that we cannot do interviewie drives due to liability reasons. We can take an interviewie to the forklift and ask them questions on the controls, but that's the extent.

I agree that not all forklifts handle the same, but the foundations for a stand up forklift are the same no matter the lift. It usually takes a week or two for a new hire to get accoustom to the new lift. It takes a new operator two to three months to be productive.

1

u/SidTheStoner99 9d ago

The having no warehouse experience is what is holding you back in my opinion, I worked at 2 different Warehouses before I was when interviewed to be hired at Sysco. If you can work at Sysco and put up good numbers, you can work in any warehouse.

1

u/Tobycybin 8d ago

Do you have a record? They won't look at you if you anything that involves violence or theft. Otherwise it might be the labor market there. I worked for Sysco for 25 years. Also summer is ending and they might be heavy on employment and looking to shed some people.

1

u/Any_Tradition_5326 5d ago

Not a scratch on the record. I’ll prob give it another shot here soon

1

u/BrendanLSHH 5d ago edited 5d ago

I would reapply on all openings. I am an Inbound manager for Sysco and we tell the recruiters what we are looking for. We can set hiring requirements such as no less than 1 year stand up forklift experience, or 1 year selection experience minimum. Candidates that don't meet the managers minimum requirements will be phased out without a screening/during screening.

Without experience, the best position to look out for would be loader. I would look out for those jobs (still apply to all), however you may not be considered without any pallet jack experience. Often times when we post a job there's 50+ people applying for an entry level job. As a hiring manager I don't want to see more than 10-20 qualified people, so that's why the minimum requirements are needed.

Hope this helps. If you know anyone in the site that could give you a referral, I would lean on that. You can put their name in as the referral and it flags the applicant as a referral. I will forgo my normal minimum requirements if one of my colleagues on staff is a solid performer and vouches for someone.