Manufacturing organizations are no strangers to change. New technologies, automation, process redesigns, and evolving skill requirements have long been part of the operating reality. As the pace of change accelerates heading into 2026, the critical question is no longer whether manufacturing can transform, but whether employees feel supported enough to transform with it.
Perceptyx benchmark data from organizations in the manufacturing sector suggests a workforce that remains committed and resilient, yet increasingly sensitive to how change is managed and how well growth opportunities keep pace. Engagement remains solid, trust in the organization is relatively high, and employees largely believe in the purpose of their work. At the same time, cracks appear when change feels unevenly supported or when development pathways are unclear.
Rather than telling a story about a single disruption or technology, the data points to a broader experience of transition. Manufacturing employees are willing to adapt, but they are closely watching whether organizations invest in the systems, skills, and leadership needed to make change sustainable.
At a headline level, engagement among manufacturing employees remains strong. More than eight in ten say they are proud to work for their company (82%) and intend to stay for at least the next 12 months (83%). Nearly four in five report a sense of personal accomplishment from their work (79%), reinforcing the deep connection many manufacturing employees feel to quality, craftsmanship, and outcomes.
Advocacy, however, is more muted. Fewer than three-quarters would recommend their company as a great place to work (74%). That gap matters in an industry facing ongoing labor shortages and competition for skilled talent. It suggests that while employees are committed, they are not uniformly confident that the experience is improving at the same pace as operational demands.
Manufacturing employees largely accept that change is part of the job. Around three-quarters say they are encouraged to improve how work is done (75%) and feel involved in making processes more effective on their teams (75%). Additionally, roughly seven in ten say employees adapt to new ways of working and are open to learning from past mistakes.
Where the experience becomes less consistent is in how change is managed and supported. Only 58% believe change is handled effectively overall. While nearly three-quarters feel personally supported in adapting to change (73%), far fewer believe the organization consistently seeks out employee input before decisions are made (60%).
This pattern suggests that manufacturing organizations are good at expecting adaptability, but less consistent at designing change in partnership with the people closest to the work. Employees are willing to move forward, but many feel they are doing so reactively rather than as part of a clearly guided journey.
Perceptyx research shows that employees who feel a strong sense of belonging are 2.4x as likely to feel supported in adapting to change, demonstrating that trust and inclusion serve as important foundations for transformation readiness.
Growth and development data helps explain why change feels manageable for some employees and exhausting for others. Most manufacturing employees believe their roles make good use of their skills (79%) and say they are acquiring the knowledge needed to be effective today (87%). These are signs of strong job design and on-the-job learning.
Longer-term development signals are more mixed. Roughly two-thirds see clear career opportunities (63%) or believe advancement is handled fairly (59%). Satisfaction with formal training sits at 67%, and only about seven in ten feel energized by their work.
Highly engaged employees are far more positive across every development measure, reinforcing that growth is a key differentiator in how manufacturing employees experience change. When development pathways are visible and credible, change feels like progress. When they are not, change feels like accumulation.
Our research on frontline workers reveals similar dynamics: employees who receive the right training are 6.3x more likely to be fully engaged. Yet only 45% of frontline workers say managers actively support their growth, creating significant opportunities to strengthen development infrastructure.
Additional research on emerging technologies offers useful context for these findings. Manufacturing employees report relatively high levels of trust and perceived fairness in how new tools and technologies, such as generative AI, are introduced, even when personal usage remains uneven. This reflects a long history of working alongside automation and process innovation.
That trust gives manufacturing organizations a valuable head start. However, trust alone does not ensure readiness. Without clear communication, employee involvement, and sustained investment in skill development, even trusted change efforts risk losing momentum.
Manufacturing's relatively high trust levels create permission to move faster, but only if change is matched with support and follow-through that activates real behavior change at every level of the organization.
The benchmark data suggests manufacturing organizations do not need to convince employees that change is coming. Instead, they need to strengthen the conditions that allow employees to grow with it.
Design change with employees, not just for them. Increase frontline and plant-level involvement in improvement efforts to close the gap between adaptability expectations and lived experience.
Make development pathways visible and credible. Clarify how new skills connect to future roles, progression, and job security, especially as work continues to evolve. Learning aligned to career stage helps employees see development as investment rather than obligation.
Equip leaders to guide transition, not just execution. Managers need tools and time to coach through change, not simply enforce new processes. AI-powered coaching can help managers develop the skills to support their teams during ongoing transformation.
Use trust as a multiplier. Manufacturing's relatively high trust levels create permission to move faster, but only if change is matched with support and follow-through.
Manufacturing organizations that succeed in the years ahead will be those that treat change as a shared capability, not a constant test of endurance. When employees feel supported in learning, invited into improvement, and confident in where growth leads, transformation becomes part of the system rather than a recurring disruption.
Ready to understand how your manufacturing workforce experiences growth, change, and support? Schedule a demo with Perceptyx to see how continuous listening and AI-powered action planning can help your organization build the workforce adaptability needed for 2026 and beyond.