Citing Our Sources: Report from Deloitte

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

A Deloitte article, “Competing for talent: Recasting perceptions of manufacturing,” published in March 2022, could easily serve as a comprehensive handbook for understanding how to connect with Gen Z career candidates.

Right out of the gate, authors Wellener, Reyes, Moutray, and Hardin write, “There is good news to report... compared to our 2017 study, significantly more respondents believe that manufacturing jobs are innovative, and respondents are likely to encourage their child to pursue a career in the industry.”

The authors continue, “the pandemic has led to a new awareness of the critical nature of manufacturing in the United States.” But they also strike a cautionary tone, warning that we are “at an inflection point and can use the increased public awareness of the industry to emphasize manufacturing’s career opportunities and benefits, particularly to the public familiar with the industry.” There is, as the authors demonstrate with the survey data, still a perception gap regarding manufacturing, which is increasingly becoming automated, high-tech, and requiring more complex skills.

Further along in the report, the authors identify three key factors perpetuating the misperceptions about manufacturing: limited public awareness; increased competition for talent; changing workforce expectations. The report then takes a deep dive into each of these key factors, comparing manufacturing to other industries. For manufacturing managers looking to hire, it will help to better understand the relative strengths of other industries competing for the same talent.

What stands out clearly for Gen Z talent is the sense of purpose they seek from their job. While compensation and benefits are factors, it becomes clear from the report that compensation may not be the major determining factor. Well-being, work/life balance, clear career paths, and a sense of purpose in making the world better are equally important. According to the report, companies adapted their organization and employee expectations in an effort to increase employee satisfaction and to reduce employee turnover.

The report shares that some interviewed company representatives see that “millennial and Generation Z workers are increasingly focused on climate issues and the environmental implications of manufacturing and appreciate company awareness of these issues.” Zero emissions, zero-waste, and other green-focused company initiatives are likely to be a factor in overall employee satisfaction going forward.

Strategies for making manufacturing more compelling as a career path are discussed in detail, following an Engage/Involve/Evolve model introduced by the authors.

In the process of compiling the content for this issue, we found our research aligning with the findings presented in this report.

This article originally appears in the November 2023 issue of SMT007 Magazine.