Changing Workforce (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)
manufacturers in the United States are a small to medium sized business. Of those small to medium sized business- es, 75 percent of them classify as a small size manufactur- er. Of those small size manufacturers, most were started by the Gen X generation. Millennials are collaborative, they’re tech savvy, and they are focused on getting promoted from within at a company. If they feel that is not an option, they will look for opportunities in a new company. Gen Zs are focused on multi-tasking, on independent learning, and they are deeply concerned with the impact on society the company they work for has, as well as the products they produce. “It’s not just about what the company is making,” Hall stressed, “it’s about what the company is doing to create change, in the industry and the world around it.” “What manufacturing companies need to come to terms with,” Hall said, is that every generation brings its own strengths to the process. “The important thing to understand is each one of these generations has their own unique characteristics and not one of them is better than the other, not one of them is worse, and none of them should be looked down upon.” Hall is particularly interested in how all these varying belief systems and values can help predict the future of manufacturing. “When we look at the future employee, what does the
— from Baby Boomers through Gen Xers, Millennials and Gen Zs. Hall sees this as both a challenge and an oppor- tunity. “We try in some ways to create adversarial relationships
between the generations instead of finding ways to work together.” In doing research and focus groups, Hall analyzed the characteristics most as- sociated with each genera- tion and how that can affect manufacturing companies. Baby Boomers are as- sociated with a strong work ethic, they are accustomed
Jake Hall
to a hierarchal work structure and they have enjoyed job stability. Baby Boomers average only 2.5 jobs for their en- tire careers. By contrast, Millennials can expect to hold 13 jobs by the time they are 30. This can add stress to manufactur- ing companies dealing with employee turnover and the resources required to train new workers. Gen Xers, said Hall, have much more of a focus on work/life balance. They’re independent workers and have an entrepreneurship spirit. Very close to 99 percent of all
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January 20, 2025
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