People and Purpose at the 2026 UKWA Conference

We know that recruitment and retention remains a pressing concern for our sector. Last month, we launched our 2026 Skills Paper (LINK), discussing how upskilling and training can solve these challenges alongside strong recommendations for Government. At the 2026 UKWA Conference on 4 March, we kept recruitment and retention on the agenda with our panel session ‘People and Purpose: Unlocking Inclusive Talent Across Your Organisation’. 

Featuring experts Tom Ashley (ILG), Stacey Morris (Creating Tomorrow Trust), Lawrence Watson (Amazon) and Lynn Gordon-Brown (XPO), our panel took to the main stage to shine a light on inclusive recruitment as a potential solution to the sector’s well-documented recruitment challenges. The panel made the case for small, actionable changes to the recruitment process and beyond that would open up the warehousing sector as a potential destination to people from diverse backgrounds, ranging from interview support and flexible working hours to responsible delegation and inclusive team-building. 

When polling the audience on the day, around 70% of those in the room said their business faces recruitment difficulties. Comparatively, 40% of those in the room said that their business engaged in inclusive employment pathways to attract and support diverse talent. Whilst this figure is a positive start, there is clearly a ‘missing middle’ of employers needing staff yet struggling to tap into this potential cohort of diverse talent. 

With unemployment figures at the highest level since the pandemic and one in seven 18-24s not in education, employment or training, it is clear that within these vast cohorts, there are plenty of people who want to work but lack the right support to get them there. Our panel therefore focused on practical guidance for UKWA members interested in getting an inclusive employment pathway off the ground, including leadership advice, what to do in the case of backlash from existing employees and successful case studies to learn from. 

Small adjustments can have a big impact, and by designing our workplaces with inclusion in mind, the sector can not only attract diverse talent but also empower and retain existing teams. 

As Tom put it on the day “success is measured, but being human will be remembered”. 

To share thoughts on this panel or suggestions for future sessions, please contact policy@ukwa.org.uk. 

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