Manufacturing's 6-7 Moment: Why You Need Gen Z
Six hours scrolling through the same old recruiting strategies. Seven hours wondering why no one under 25 wants to work in manufacturing.
“Is it giving manufacturing floor?” is the line I tested on my Gen Z daughter. She didn’t like it so I thought it was safe to use here as an example of what ‘not to do’ when trying to recruit the next generation of manufacturing.
But the challenge remains: you need to get Gen Z workers through your doors. And fast.
Last week I wrote about the silver tsunami that will be a big reason why you’re in this position. Today we’re going to oversimplify in an effort to talk about the future of manufacturing: the Gen Z workers, stupid.
(James Carville famously said that…ok, he didn’t. But he gave us the framework to bastardize the line many, many times since he originally said it about the economy back in 1992.)
We live in (business) world where ‘vibe’ _______ing is a real thing. Vibe coding. Vibe leading. Vibe working. So how can the future not be about Gen Z?
So where's the 6-7 part?
In the spirit of this blog…here are 13 thoughts on what all of this is and means for you. (Why 13? Because 6 + 7 is 13…and I had to tie this to 6-7 somehow.)
- There are 12.7M manufacturing jobs in the U.S. Almost a record high.
- Despite that, as August there were still 409,000 open jobs in U.S. manufacturing sectors.
- Manufacturing leaders cite labor as their number one challenge, which is saying something today.
- 47% of Gen Z is interested in manufacturing as a profession.
- That number jumps to 62% if they had a ‘better understanding’ of what manufacturing actually entailed or was.
- So what does Gen Z want? Career advancement, professional development and skill building. OVER compensation.
- Why? Because they’re loyal to the skill, not the employer – meaning, they will stay as long as they feel they’re learning something.
- They still want paid though. And are very willing to listen to packages that offer tuition reimbursements.
- Gen Z values relationships and their personal time in a way that older generations have ignored. They watched their parents balance work and life, taking calls in the evening, being on their phones and computers sending emails. They don’t want that. They want the structured workday manufacturers can offer. And in more non-traditional formats (4 10’s for example…an option their white collar parents may not have had.)
- The reason Gen Z isn’t thinking manufacturing first? The perception of it. Dirty. Dingy. Old school. They don’t realize that perception is rooted in the way things used to be. New automation, plants and processes will quickly reveal a very different world of manufacturing.
- Hmmmm…how do we change that perception?
- Once again, just as we said in the silver tsunami blog…this comes down to your willingness to be an active participant in the solution. Show them. Tell them. Invite them. Open your doors.
- The future is right in front of you. Waiting for you to invite it in.
I loved tackling this topic because it blends two of my favorite things – generational communications and manufacturing. You are your greatest asset. But if left untapped you can become your biggest obstacle. We can show you how to tap into the story you aren’t telling – one that ends with a simple approach to welcoming in the next generation of employees, leaders and if you do it right, culture.
Sources:
- National Association of Manufacturers – Manufacturing Data and Outlook
- Deloitte & The Manufacturing Institute – 2024 Manufacturing Talent Study
- McKinsey & Company – “From Hire to Inspire: Getting (and Keeping) Gen Z in Manufacturing”
- Workday Industry Insights – “How Manufacturing Can Attract—and Retain—Gen Z”
- Fast Company – “Gen Zers don’t want to work in factories” (Soter Analytics Gen Z survey)
- Manufacturing Dive – “Manufacturing could be short 1.9M workers by 2033”
- NAM Manufacturing Institute – Workforce press releases and commentary
- Compunnel/Industry blogs – Gen Z in manufacturing trends