According to Epicor’s new “Future of Work in Manufacturing” report, a significant gap exists between how manufacturing managers and frontline workers perceive workplace morale. In 2024, 57% of managers rated their morale as high compared to only 45% of workers, highlighting a potential disconnect in understanding and addressing employee engagement.
Bridging this morale gap to ensure alignment between managers and workers is especially critical given the projected 3.8 million manufacturing employee workforce shortage, and the need for leaders to address current challenges and prepare for future demands.
Separately, the report found there is a disconnect in upskilling efforts, with 91% of managers but only 70% of workers recognizing it as a priority, highlighting the need for enhanced communication and implementation.
Epicor surveyed more than 1,400 manufacturing leaders and 1,200 manufacturing workers worldwide to uncover critical trends and strategies that will shape the industry’s future. These findings are meant to inform and guide C-suite leaders, operations managers, manufacturing supervisors, IT leaders, and HR leaders in creating and implementing strategies to successfully scale their manufacturing operations.
Key Findings:
- Technological Gap: While 52% of managers considered their workplace very modern in 2024, only 39% of workers agreed, suggesting a mismatch in perceptions of technological advancement.
- Sustainability Priorities: Only about half of the companies prioritize sustainability, with 61% of managers and 45% of workers viewing it as crucial, pointing to the need for stronger, more visible sustainability initiatives.
- Supply Chain Challenges: Despite 75% of managers recognizing the critical importance of supply chain resilience and sustainability, issues like cost, regulatory hurdles, and technological shortcomings remain obstacles.
- Automation’s Impact: A growing awareness of automation’s role shows 73% of managers and 53% of workers expect job changes due to automation, with decreasing immediate concerns among workers.
- Turnover Trends: Worker-reported turnover dropped by 6% in 2024, while manager-reported turnover rose by 25%, reflecting varying experiences and viewpoints on workforce stability.
Strategic Insights for Leadership
The “Future of Work in Manufacturing” report offers strategic recommendations for manufacturing leaders, emphasizing the importance of:
- Enhancing employee engagement and morale through better communication and recognition programs.
- Accelerating technological modernization to remain competitive in a rapidly changing industry.
- Implementing robust upskilling programs to prepare workers for the future of manufacturing.
- Prioritizing sustainability to meet growing ESG requirements.
“Manufacturers are navigating an era of significant change and challenge,” said Kerrie Jordan, Group Vice President of Product Management at Epicor. “Our latest report provides actionable insights that can help organizations align their people, processes, and technology to fine-tune their operations. By gathering and analyzing perspectives from both workers and leaders across the globe, we’ve gained robust insights that guide us in crafting strategies to enhance operational efficiency and embrace future opportunities.”
Survey Methodology
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the manufacturing industry’s successes and challenges, we analyzed data from four key reports:
- 2023 Voice of the Essential Manufacturing Worker Report
- 2024 Voice of the Essential Manufacturing Worker Report
- 2023 Voice of the Manufacturing Manager Report
- 2024 Voice of the Manufacturing Manager Report
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