DEI in Manufacturing Can Address Hiring and Retention Issues

On Jun 29, 2023

The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, in partnership with Keybridge, released an updated edition of its benchmarking study on how adding more diversity to the talent pipeline can address the industry’s challenges in hiring and retaining workers. The paper features a snapshot of manufacturers’ current diversity, equity and inclusion practices, along with recommendations for how manufacturers can recruit and retain a diverse workforce and increase the number of women in manufacturing.

“Creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces is necessary to ensure the readiness of the manufacturing workforce and change perceptions of manufacturing,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “For example, by raising the percentage of women in the manufacturing sector to 35%, there would be enough new employees to fill every opening in the manufacturing sector today. Making inroads with other diverse populations would also help achieve these goals. As manufacturers adapt and evolve their companies’ DE&I strategies, the MI will continue to support efforts by amplifying solutions to multiply the impact on the entire industry.”

Key Findings:

• Recruiting from a more diverse pipeline can increase the talent pool, which is particularly salient given the number of manufacturing jobs needed in the future.
• By embracing diversity, manufacturers can boost their bottom lines. It can also help invigorate a company’s culture. Employees—and especially younger workers—want to work for companies that “make the world a better place” and allow individuals to bring their whole selves to work.
• Manufacturers are making strides in improving DE&I at their companies, including following up on DE&I commitments and soliciting feedback from employees.

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