The Big Reveal
We’ve been holding onto a secret: recently, our team was involved in the taping of an Undercover Boss episode at a huge Oregon warehouse!
(Fans face in excitement.)
While we can’t share all the behind-the-scenes details, our marketing team got together with their marketing team, and here’s what we can tell you:*
- it’s a limited series about staffing agencies with a working title of Undercover Boss: Temp Staffing Edition
- our particular episode centers around a hiring manager and new employee during peak season
- we’ve been cleared to share a snippet of their conversation from filming
Grab your popcorn—here’s what the cameras caught.
The Conversation
Narrator voiceover: Inside a 25,000-square-foot Oregon warehouse, the seasonal rush is just weeks away. Ten truck bays hum with activity as forklifts beep and boxes fly down conveyor belts. Our “new seasonal hire” (actually an undercover Selectemp recruiter) walks beside the warehouse hiring manager during an orientation tour. But what the manager doesn’t know is they’re about to talk shop with the cameras rolling.
Undercover Recruiter: So it sounds like things get pretty intense here soon. Are you feeling prepared this season?
Manager: On paper? Sure! My spreadsheets look great…schedules lined up, shifts covered.
But in real life, by week two, half the temps will ghost, another chunk will realize this isn’t the job for them, and a couple others will leave for fifty cents more down the road.
Then before long I’m begging my team to come in early or work late to help cover while I wait for staffing agencies to send more people.
It’s just chaos no matter how prepared I think I am.
Undercover Recruiter: Wow, that sounds stressful. Don’t worry, I won’t ghost you!
[Both laugh. A forklift beeps, gets louder as it approaches. Driver smiles and nods as he drives past.]
Manager: Hi Brent! [waves at forklift driver] It is stressful, but I’m used to it. Happens all year long, not just during peak season.
Undercover Recruiter: Is that the hardest part of your job then, the staffing?
Manager: Ummmm I’d say it’s turnover and safety. Always those two. Every time someone walks mid-shift, that’s another hole I’ve gotta plug.
New person, new training, new chance they don’t know how dangerous the baler is. And my exec team? They just want to see quotas met.
But warm bodies don’t move product safely. That’s the part that kills me.
I can explain slow hiring to leadership. I can’t explain preventable accidents.
Undercover Recruiter: If only all candidates were OSHA-trained workers right off the bat! [laughs]
Manager: Right?! If every temp walked in already knowing the basics, my stress level would drop by half. Maybe my ulcer would go away! [laughing continues]
Undercover Recruiter: I’m sure it’s hard not to lose faith in the talent pool these days, huh?
Manager: Actually, Oregon’s got great workers if you can find them.
We had this one guy last year, Brent. He was the forklift driver you saw briefly earlier. He came in during the holiday rush with OSHA training, solid work ethic, great attitude.
We hired him full-time after the new year, and now he’s running circles around everyone. Even me sometimes.
Stuff like that keeps me from throwing in the towel. It’s proof that there are good people who want to work and will do a great job.
You just have to connect with them before someone else does, you know?
Undercover Recruiter: [playfully clasps hands together] Aww, that’s a really nice thing for you to say about me!
Manager: [rolls eyes] Let me show you where the scanners are.
The Confession
*In full transparency: this didn’t happen.
We know. We’re a little devastated too.
But if there was an Undercover Boss: Temp Staffing Edition, this episode would look a lot like what we hear every season from Oregon warehouse leaders.
The ghosting.
The turnover.
The safety scares.
The one Brent who always saves the day.
It’s all real. And we’re willing to bet it probably sounds a little too familiar.
We know that seasonal surges put even the best operations under pressure. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
So what’s the solution?
How a Warehouse Staffing Agency Can Change the Script
When seasonal demand hits, you don’t need “bodies to fill shifts.” You need teammates who actually want to be there, even if it’s for a short time.
Working with a partner who understands warehouse staffing like Selectemp means you’ll get:
- OSHA-10 trained staff who understand safety inside and out
- Vetted, motivated workers who won’t ghost
- Scalable support that flexes with your busy season
- Local expertise that connects you to Oregon’s workforce, not just whoever mass applies from their couch.
Imagine Next Season Without the Drama
This year, maybe you grit your teeth and power through.
But next year doesn’t have to be a rerun.
With the right staffing partner, seasonal hiring doesn’t feel like a reality show—it feels like a real strategy.
Peak season will always test you. But it doesn’t have to break you.
Talk to Selectemp about building a seasonal workforce that actually works. Because every warehouse deserves a Brent.
Frequently Asked Questions About Seasonal Warehouse Staffing
Q: Is there really an Undercover Boss: Temp Staffing Edition episode?
A: Sadly, no. We wish! It was just a fun idea we ran with. But the challenges in the story—ghosting, turnover, safety scares—are straight from real conversations we’ve had with warehouse managers across Oregon.
Q: Why is seasonal warehouse staffing so challenging?
A: Seasonal warehouse staffing is tough because demand spikes quickly, causing ghosting, turnover, and safety risks. Managers often scramble to replace workers mid-shift, retrain new hires, and meet quotas—all while stretched teams face burnout. Reliable staffing partners help reduce chaos during peak season.
(Want the longer version? Keep reading.)
Q: Why does seasonal warehouse hiring feel so tough?
A: Because everything hits at once. Orders spike, your core team is stretched thin, and half the temps you bring in don’t stick around. That constant churn leads to retraining, burnout, and safety risks that never show up in a spreadsheet.
Q: How can a warehouse staffing agency actually help?
A: A good staffing partner gives you more than “bodies to fill shifts.” They connect you with motivated, vetted workers, scale your team up and down with demand, and take a lot of the stress off your shoulders.
Q: Does Selectemp only staff warehouses in Oregon?
A: Our roots are here in Oregon, and we know the PNW workforce inside and out. But through the TalentLaunch network, we can support distribution, manufacturing, and logistics roles across the entire country (and so much more).
Q: What makes Selectemp different from other agencies?
A: For one, we have OSHA-10 certified staff members. Safety isn’t just a box we check—it’s part of how we hire. And because we’re local, we know how to find the Brents of the world (the workers who show up, work hard, and stick).
