When 70% of leaders in a National Association of Manufacturers survey agree that attracting and retaining talent is now one of their most significant challenges, something has to change, and soon.
Younger and hourly workers' expectations are evolving, particularly around when and how they work, so manufacturers are finding that the traditional shift structures of their manufacturing schedules are no longer acceptable to potential and current employees.
Instead, alternative structures such as flex, "split shifts", and "shift swapping" are now a business necessity. Offering flexibility that can improve recruiting, retention and engagement, and give companies a competitive advantage.
Manufacturing environments: Different needs for flexibility
"Flexible work arrangements" that work in an office environment often don't work in a manufacturing facility. Remote work, for example, isn't an option for many production workers who need to be on site to operate machinery or to complete quality checks. However, manufacturing companies can offer flexibility options such as compressed workweeks, flexible hours, part-time, shift swapping, split shifts, and periodically rotating shifts.
For example, Standard Fiber, a home bedding products and textile manufacturing company in Nevada, implemented a compressed workweek schedule to aid recruiting and retention efforts, and improve employees' well-being.
Jose Garcia, head of human resources and people operations at bedding products and home textiles manufacturer Standard Fiber, said the move from the traditional five-day schedule to four 10-hour days gave employees more concentrated free time, providing employees a physical and time benefit. "Being on their feet all day on concrete makes it very hard on employees physically," he said. "The compressed schedule gives us flexibility. We hit peak production earlier in the week, and employees enjoy an extra day off to handle personal tasks and get the rest they need." Garcia added that since the company implemented the new schedule in 2024, turnover has started to decrease.
How HR leaders can help manufacturers make the 'shift'
As manufacturing companies incorporate key aspects of this benefit in ways that help the business and employees, HR leaders can use this framework to lead this initiative:
Step 1: Diagnose the challenge. Assess the environment for pain points like difficulty recruiting, high turnover and highly competitive labor markets.
Step 2: Design flexible options. Look at shift structures that align with your organization's needs and goals and offer employees greater control without compromising productivity. Consider offering compressed workweeks, rotating shifts, shift swapping, staggered start and end times and part-time and job-sharing options.
Step 3: Gain Leadership Buy-In. Ensure senior leaders support this change, understand the benefits and know how the results will be assessed.
Step 4: Enable and Communicate. Help leaders and frontline managers learn how to manage a flexible workforce. Communicate with leaders, frontline managers and employees so they understand the process and purpose.
Step 5: Pilot and Scale. Begin with pilot programs and track results. Adjust the programs as needed.
Step 6: Streamline the process. Identify technology that can improve the organization's flexibility by spotting opportunities for flexible working and helping with shift swapping.
Garcia acknowledged that operational changes succeed only when the culture supports them. Flexibility requires leaders to measure outcomes, not hours. This change requires trust between the manager and employee, he added. Garcia's point is backed by research. Great Places to Work found that high-trust workplaces achieve more than eight times the revenue per employee and outperform the market by nearly four times — all while achieving lower burnout rates and creating positive work experiences.
By designing, piloting and scaling innovative flexible arrangements in manufacturing, HR leaders can help the business become more responsive to changing dynamics, build a supportive work environment, and create a more resilient and loyal workforce.
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