Tech and Talent in Manufacturing: Building Teams That Thrive with Automation

What if preparing your workforce for modern manufacturing wasn’t just about keeping pace with technology but a critical driver of long-term success?

During a recent Moore on Manufacturing episode, hosts Mike Sibley and Kevin Golden sat down with Julie Kniseley, President of James Moore HR Solutions, to discuss how human capital in manufacturing is changing alongside AI and automation. The conversation highlighted practical strategies for workforce development, retention and creating a culture where technology and talent work together.

Redefine Top Talent in Today’s Market

For years, manufacturing hiring focused heavily on credentials and college degrees. But Julie encourages companies to rethink that approach.

“My first question is why? What are they getting with that degree?” she said. While certain technical positions require formal education, many manufacturing roles benefit more from hands-on experience. “There’s a lot of roles out there that you don’t need that college education, that in-person and on-the-job experience is a lot more valuable.”

Mike added that companies need to build out skills matrices based on department and service line. “What’s really interesting is most people are trainable in a lot of ways. It’s just a matter of having the ability to create or the understanding and say what is that need to look like.”

Beyond credentials, adaptability has become essential. “My dad was at the same company for 35 years. Job didn’t change all that much in 35 years. Now it’s evolving every six months,” Julie explained. “So if you are not one that can handle that kind of change and you’re very set in your ways, you’re going to struggle.”

Understanding How Employees React to Technology

When introducing AI or automation, leaders encounter three distinct mindsets among their workforce.

“Some people will feel threatened about their job. Well, is AI going to take over my job?” Julie noted. “Others will be like, hey, you know what, AI can make my job a lot easier. It’s going to make me more efficient.” And then there are the early adopters who embrace every new technology enthusiastically.

Kevin asked whether employees today feel optimistic or nervous about all the change. Julie acknowledged it’s a mix. “I think it’s a little bit of all of the above and some of it is generational and some of it is just protectionism.”

The challenge for leadership is addressing all three groups effectively. “The challenge for leadership is to be able to educate and communicate in a way that’s going to cover all three of those personality types,” she said.

Why Communication Cannot Be Overstated

One theme emerged repeatedly throughout the discussion: the importance of communication during times of change.

“You can’t overcommunicate. You can’t overcommunicate,” Julie emphasized. “You can’t just develop a new technology or use AI or bring in some kind of automation and then just pass it down and say, ‘Here, this is what we’re doing now.'”

Instead, companies should involve employees from the start. “The people who know the job the best are the ones that are on the shop floor, not the ones sitting behind a desk,” she said. “If you don’t bring them in, then one, you could be misusing that technology and not developing it the correct way. And you’re not going to get the buy-in from the people that actually have to use this every day.”

Mike pointed out that people also need to understand the reasoning behind changes. “I think they need more of a, hey, this is why, this is what’s happening. Kind of create some transparency.”

Training That Goes Beyond Day One

Continuous learning must become part of organizational culture. Julie pointed out that many companies still follow outdated training models.

“There’s still kind of that philosophy that you train them on the way in and then they learn on the job,” she said. “But are we doing them a disservice by not having that continuous improvement, that continuous communication, that feedback loop? It should not be one and done.”

Mike shared his own experience with learning new technology. “I didn’t learn that between the hours of 8 and 5. I take a little time at night, take a little time on the weekends.” He acknowledged that leaders sometimes need to invest extra effort in upskilling themselves. “It has saved hours and hours and hours every week when applied properly. But it takes some time to dig in and just spend some time on yourself upskilling yourself.”

Julie also stressed the importance of training the trainers themselves. “Sometimes who you’re being trained by, you’re being trained by whoever is one step ahead of you. They might be a little bit more experienced, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have the skill set to be a trainer.”

Move Beyond Annual Performance Reviews

Annual evaluations are no longer sufficient.

“If you wait six months or a year, it’s like, why didn’t you tell me I’ve been doing the same thing wrong for the last year?” Julie said. She advocates for regular one-on-ones and real-time coaching instead.

Mike agreed that accountability shows care for employees. “Holding somebody accountable shows that, hey, these are the expectations I laid out,” he said. “If you’re meeting with them enough and say, ‘Hey, you’re struggling with these two things. You’ve done great here. What do we need to do to help you get over the hump?’ That’s accountability. That’s a good conversation.”

Tolerating poor performance also damages culture. “What impact does that have on the culture for the people that are doing their darnedest to do a really great job?” Julie asked. When underperformers face no consequences, they set the bar for everyone else.

Connect Work to a Larger Purpose

Helping employees understand the impact of their work can be a powerful motivator. Julie shared an example involving medical manufacturers.

“If you’re in medical manufacturing and you want to get people to buy into the mission and the strategy, well, explain to them how the part they play ultimately leads to something else,” she said. “Explain how what the work they’re doing on a day-to-day basis, that this manufacturer is ultimately helping NICU babies survive.”

Mike described a training session he led where he taught operational employees how to read financial statements. “I had them identifying the impacts on margins and EBITDA. They went back and I can’t tell you how many comments we got on, hey, I got an idea for improvement. I didn’t realize what impact this would have.”

Invest in What Matters Most

Manufacturing’s future depends on more than machines. It depends on people who are adaptable, engaged and properly supported.

Julie offered a memorable perspective: “If all you had was the leadership team and nobody else left, would the company continue? And the answer is absolutely not.”

That reality should inform every decision about workforce investment. Technology and people strategy aren’t competing priorities. They’re complementary elements that drive sustainable growth.

Watch the full episode of Moore on Manufacturing on YouTube to hear the complete conversation. Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more manufacturing insights.