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Abstract
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. manufacturing workforce has declined 36% since its peak employment 42 years ago. Coinciding with the decrease in employment, there are resulting ramifications including increasing employee overtime, limited qualified applicants, higher turnover rate, and decreased local and national productivity. The source of the new workforce comes in the form of the Millennial and Generation Z (Gen Z) generations. To establish manufacturing as an enticing career choice for Millennials and Gen Z, it is important to understand the motivators for these groups in making significant decisions. Research shows that attracting Millennials and Gen Zs requires more personalization than the existing generic methods of providing information such as pamphlets or fliers. Using the results from a comprehensive literature review, this paper addresses the motivators and personalization that can influence the decisions of Millennials and Gen Zs. The information uncovered in this research will be used to craft recruitment strategies to influence Millennials and Gen Zs to join the manufacturing industry. Research areas presented in this work include the psychology behind Millennial and Gen Z thought processes, communication preferences, habits, and misconceptions about manufacturing.
Keywords:
Manufacturing, Generation Z, Millennials, Workforce, Psychology.
1.Introduction
The Baby Boomer generation has held the line in employment in the U.S. for longer than any previous generation, spanning over six decades (the mid-1960s-2022) [1], [2]. The risk of retirement of the Baby Boomers, particularly from manufacturing industries, is an issue that has been discussed for decades with no real solution in sight [2]. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has quickened the departure of the Baby Boomers from the job market. Now the issue of how to backfill those positions in both the technical skills and engineering fields is a clear and present danger to industry [3], [4]. A study from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute states that the manufacturing skills gap is increasing with a projection of 2.1 million manufacturing jobs going unfilled by 2030 with a potential cost to the U.S. economy of up to $1 trillion [5]. The inability to fill positions originates from 3 key issues: 1) misconceptions of the job, 2) lack of attraction and/or interest in the field, and 3) the retirement of Baby Boomers [5], [6]....