Gen Z is increasingly making up the majority of the workforce but is indifferent to manufacturing industries, causing factories to face a crisis of lacking replacement workers.
After Tet, Oasis Garment Company Limited in Cu Chi District, 100% FDI capital, has had many new orders. The factory needs to recruit 3-5 more order management staff. The positions require good English communication skills to work directly with foreigners. The company accepts candidates without experience, starting salary is 13-14 million VND. The factory has a shuttle bus to pick up employees from the center or dormitory near the factory...
Recruitment information has been posted on recruitment websites and social networks, but for nearly three months, no one has been recruited. "Factory factories are in a crisis of young workers to supplement and replace older workers," said Ms. Hoang Dung, Head of Human Resources at Oasis Company.
According to Ms. Dung, this situation has lasted for several years, the company has had difficulty finding employees from Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012). Knowing that Gen Z has many differences from previous generations, the factory has added many welfare programs, no restrictions on work attire, and a clear promotion path after 1-2 years, but "candidates are still missing".
Oasis factory workers during working hours. Photo: An Phuong
"The difficulty in recruiting personnel for factories is not only due to the businesses but also because Gen Z is not interested in this industry," said Ms. Thanh Nguyen, CEO of Anphabe - a leading company in surveying and researching the labor market.
The survey on Gen Z's job choice trends in 2023, with the participation of more than 14,000 people of this generation, showed that the industries most favored by this group are: Food and Beverage, Financial Services and Retail, Wholesale, Trade and always recorded an increase over the years. The specific jobs that Gen Z prioritizes are Sales, Market Development, Accounting, Finance, Investment, Service, Customer Care.
"Industrial production is out of the top 10 favorite industries and occupations that Gen Z prioritizes," said Ms. Thanh Nguyen.
Having been in charge of human resources for a multi-industry private corporation in Ho Chi Minh City for many years, Mr. Bui Van Duy believes that there are many reasons why the industrial manufacturing industry and Gen Z cannot find common ground.
Accordingly, employees working in factories, even in the office block, still have to comply with working hours according to shifts and work shifts, and uphold principles and discipline because they work on the assembly line. Most factories have to work on Saturdays. Urgent orders require overtime to meet the deadline. "Compared to commercial services, the manufacturing block is at a complete disadvantage because Gen Z prefers more flexible work hours," said Mr. Duy.
Having worked in the field of human resource search for businesses for nearly 15 years, Mr. Duy believes that the industrial manufacturing industry must continuously improve to increase productivity and compete on unit prices. Therefore, business owners also want stable human resources for development. However, the level of attachment of young workers to the company is too low. Factories work in shifts, strictly follow internal regulations, stable salaries, increasing steadily over the years, but the starting point cannot be as high as in the service industry, the appearance is not "slick" so it is difficult to attract young workers.
His comments are consistent with Anphabe's survey, where over 70% of respondents wanted a work-life balance, comfortable and interesting work, and friendly colleagues. In particular, the top goal of this group is to have enough income to live on and save. However, the average time Gen Z stays at work is only 2.2 years.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duc Loc, Director of the Institute of Social Life Research, said that the contradictions between the manufacturing industry and the needs and desires of Gen Z are putting factories in a crisis of finding additional or replacement personnel for previous generations.
Citing a report from the General Statistics Office, Mr. Loc said the number of Gen Z in working age (from 15 to 24 years old) in 2019 was about 13 million people. By 2025, this generation will contribute 1/3 of the working age population in Vietnam. Gen Z will have a great impact on the domestic labor market and is gradually replacing the current workforce.
Meanwhile, the industrial and construction sectors still play a key role in the entire economy. Specifically, the Government strives for the proportion of industry and construction to account for 43-44% by 2025 and 40-41% by 2035 in the national economic structure. The value of high-tech industrial products and high-tech application products will reach about 45% of the total GDP by 2025, and over 50% after 2025.
"There needs to be a training and career guidance strategy to attract young workers to the industrial manufacturing sector. This will help ensure economic goals are achieved," said Mr. Loc.
Anphabe CEO Thanh Nguyen believes that Gen Z's characteristics have been formed, especially emphasizing flexibility, individual needs, a progressive spirit, and open-mindedness. Therefore, instead of trying to change Gen Z, manufacturing plants can "loosen" regulations and increase benefits to compensate for rigid standards that cannot be changed.
Accordingly, the factory works in shifts, on the assembly line, but there are still jobs that can be done remotely, without requiring punctuality, or being present at the company at the right time. The manager only needs to set the job requirements and ensure completion.
Factories often have shuttle buses, dormitories... which are very suitable for young workers who do not have a house in the city. Therefore, HR staff need to target this group so that the two sides can meet. "To find people, especially talented people, employers must be diligent because Gen Z is not a stranger, they are the children of managers from previous generations like Y, X... As parents, you have to be patient and gradually train them," said Ms. Thanh Nguyen.
Le Tuyet
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