2024 Manufacturing Talent Trends + How are the Roles of C-Suites & Executives Changing?

2024 manufacturing talent trends

The UKG Workforce Institute recently released its 2024 Manufacturing Talent Trends Report: Building Momentum Despite Persistent Talent Challenges.

UKG surveyed 300+ U.S. manufacturing HR leaders to explore talent trends like recruitment, retention, employee experience, and technology adoption.

Recruitment and retention remain top priorities, with the report highlighting both talent challenges and industry growth:

• Turnover & frontline retirements have risen. 48% of manufacturers say it now takes longer to fill positions compared to the year prior. Still, 74% report increased productivity & 58% say total employee headcounts are expanding.
• Manager retention is critical, as 65% find it harder to fill frontline manager roles than non-manager roles, yet only 1 in 3 identify training & coaching for this vital group as "high" priority.

If recruitment and retention are challenges for your company, HTI can help. With 25 years of expertise, we specialize in talent solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of manufacturers. Explore our services today.

How are the roles of C-Suites & Executives changing?

LinkedIn recently released its State of the C-Suite and Executives Report , showcasing how the role of executives is changing, generational shifts in leadership, and the fastest-growing CXO positions.

Here are some of their findings:

• Soft skills are increasingly prominent in leadership profiles, with 9.6% of the skills listed by newly hired C-suite executives in 2023 being soft skills, up from 7.3% in 2018.
• The top three fastest-growing C-suite positions—Chief Data Officer, Chief Legal Officer, & Chief Human Resources Officer—highlight the rising importance of AI, data expertise, & human capability.
• Data on generational shifts shows Millennials rapidly rising in executive ranks & set to surpass Gen X as the dominant generation in leadership roles. As of 2023, Millennials represent 44.8% of leaders, compared to 45.7% for Gen X.

Layoffs & Low Employee Engagement: What does the data say?

Layoffs have been making headlines, especially in tech and large, high-profile companies. While outplacing employees sometimes proves necessary, it’s important to consider how deeply it affects employee engagement.

According to Harvard Business Review (HBR) , research shows that companies conducting layoffs in 2023 saw an even greater decline in employee engagement, with a 2 percentage point drop compared to the 2020–2022 rounds.

Additionally, HBR found that after layoffs companies see employee engagement drop (even if it was high before layoffs occurred).

"In fact, the higher your employee engagement is to start, the more likely it is to plummet after layoffs, and the less committed your employees will be to staying with the business."

Outplacing employees is never easy, but humanizing the layoff experience is critical. Consider taking these steps: Prioritize transparent communication and treat employees with kindness. Understand that engagement may take a hit, potentially affecting morale for up to a year. Invest in outplacement programs to give your employees a new place to land. HTI can guide you through the process.

Dockworkers strike ends, but port congestion & automation dispute persist

The International Longshoreman's Association (ILA) strike ended after 3 days. However, per Manufacturing Dive , it could take weeks to clear port congestion affecting inventory replenishment ahead of the holiday season.

"Although the strike only lasted a few days, it still had a rippling effect causing roughly a one week delay for each day of the strike. Let’s be mindful that the strike has only been suspended until the 15th of January 2025, and there are still various points to be negotiated." - Angel Rodriguez, President of ASF Air at ASF Logistics

While the ILA and United States Maritime Alliance have reached a tentative wage agreement, the issue of automation remains unresolved and must be addressed by early 2025. Dockworkers are pushing for "airtight" language in the next contract to prevent the introduction of full or "semi-automation," which could pose a significant challenge.

Nick Vyas, Founding Director of USC Marshall’s Kendrick Global Supply Chain Institute, warns that delaying the integration of advanced technologies in port operations could weaken the nation’s global competitiveness and efficiency.