Manufacturing plays a vital role in supporting various industries. To remain competitive, companies must adopt growth-supporting technologies, policies, and practices while fostering a positive work environment.
Bonuses, higher pay, flexible schedules, and more paid time off are leading factors contributing to high morale for both workers and managers in 2023 and 2024. Managers also emphasized the impact of recognition programs and growth opportunities, while workers appreciated management's attention to listening and acting on feedback. Overall, boosting morale involves a combination of financial rewards, flexible working conditions, and active engagement in employee development and feedback initiatives.
High Morale
In 2024, the primary challenge for manufacturing managers was ensuring safety and compliance, which rose from 15% in 2023 to 16%. This involved maintaining worker safety, completing compliance training, and aligning machinery with regulations. Managing a diverse team was the second biggest challenge, dropping from 16% in 2023 to 13% in 2024, reflecting the complexity of handling varied roles and locations. The third challenge was hitting production targets, which decreased from 16% to 12%, often impacted by supply chain disruptions and manual process delays.
Ensuring Safety Compliance
Managing a Diverse Team
Hitting Production Targets
Manufacturing workers identified the increased cost of raw materials as their biggest challenge in 2024, with its impact dropping from 29% in 2023 to 15%. Workers cited tighter budgets and job insecurity as key concerns related to rising material costs. The second major challenge was an increased workload, rising from 11% in 2023 to 14% in 2024, driven by insufficient training, resource shortages, and staff turnover. Additional challenges included ineffective supervisors and outdated technology, both contributing to stress and inefficiency in the workplace.
Increased Cost of Raw Materials
Workload
Supply Chain Shortage
Bad Supervisors
Outdated Technology
