Engagement in the Workplace
- 45% say morale at their current company is high—employees attribute this high level of satisfaction to bonuses or higher pay, flexible work schedules, better tools and technology, and management that listens to staff concerns.
- Creating a better workplace starts by listening to staff. They also say management can create a better workplace by offering more paid time off, flexible work schedules, and by providing better tools and technology.
More Technology and the Skills to Use Them
- 56% say they would take a pay cut to work at a more technology-driven factory.
- 70% say their company is making upskilling a priority through initiatives like on-site and on-the-job training, access to online learning platforms, and covering tuition for courses and training.
Sustainability at the Factory
- 55% say they would take a pay cut to go work for a more sustainable factory.
- 45% say their organization is making sustainability a high priority.
Turnover, Challenges, and Other Takeaways
- 43% plan to leave their jobs in the next year, in search of a new employer that prioritizes more paid time off, flexible work schedules, and listening to staff concerns.
- Workers currently face challenges stemming from inadequately trained supervisors, heavy workloads, outdated technology, and the high costs of raw materials used in their industry.
Notable Comparisons from 2023’s Report
- Percentage of workers with high morale dropped from 52% last year to 45% this year.
- Interestingly, turnover also dropped, from 45% of businesses seeing more turnover than ever to 39%.
- More workers plan to stay at their jobs in the next year as well, up from 44% in 2023 to 57% this year.
- Those who believe their job will be replaced by automation dropped from 64% to 52%.
- The percentage of those placing a high priority on upskilling declined (from 80% of those surveyed to 70%) as did those prioritizing sustainability (from 49% to 45%).
- However, the percentage prioritizing investing in new technology “more than ever” rose from 45% to 49%.
- Notably, the thing most employees enjoy about their work remains the same: Being part of building or creating something with their hands.
Profile of Who We Surveyed
Methodology and Participant Demographics
In order to give greater context around these findings, here are more details on who we surveyed and the methodology used: starting on September 5, 2023, we surveyed 600 factory or plant workers in the US. The survey was conducted online via Pollfish, using organic sampling. Learn more about the Pollfish methodology here.
What best describes where you work?
What best describes your job title?
What best describes the goods you primarily manufacture where you work?
How long have you been at your current company?
How long have you worked in manufacturing across all jobs, including your current job?
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Vice President of Product Management
Kerrie Jordan is Group Vice President, Product Management at Epicor. In her role, Kerrie leads the strategic direction of Epicor’s cloud-enabled industry productivity solutions to ensure they continue to deliver high value, innovation, security and insights for Epicor customers. As a technology evangelist and industry thought leader, Kerrie provides expertise on topics like SaaS, ERP, DaaS Supply Chain Management and more.
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