New resource provides practical guidance and tools for plant-level leaders, supervisors, and workforce professionals

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Meat Institute today announced the launch of new workforce resources designed to help member companies strengthen frontline leadership, support employees, and advance labor and human rights best practices throughout the meat and poultry supply chain.

Working together, the Meat Institute’s Workforce Experience Committee and WorkForge developed a report examining a critical workforce question: Who is prepared to lead the plant when today’s frontline leaders move on? The research finds that many companies begin building the leadership pipeline only after a position becomes vacant, while promotion decisions often reward performance in an employee’s current role rather than demonstrated readiness to lead.

"Plant-floor leaders have an enormous impact on employee experience, retention, engagement, and safety," said Julie Anna Potts, President and CEO of the Meat Institute. "These resources provide practical guidance to help our members strengthen workplace culture, support employees, and continue advancing the industry's commitment to safe, respectful, and opportunity-filled workplaces."

The report finds frontline succession as a business imperative with direct implications for food safety, operational performance, revenue, margin, and workforce stability. It notes that frontline turnover approaches 40% annually in many organizations, only 45% of new supervisors receive leadership training during their first year, and replacing employees at a 300-person plant with 40% annual turnover could cost nearly $2 million each year — before accounting for lost productivity, overtime, onboarding, training, and lost experience.

To help members move from reactive replacement to continuous talent development, the resources include a 10-question Frontline Succession Assessment that establishes a baseline for readiness and identifies priorities for improvement. The report also provides a practical framework for recruiting for potential, designing onboarding around retention and readiness, developing role-specific capabilities, establishing visible career pathways, measuring readiness objectively, and preparing frontline leaders before vacancies occur.

For more information, an executive summary and to access the resources, visit the Meat Institute's Labor & Human Rights Resource Center: Labor & Human Rights Resource Center.

About the Meat Institute

The Meat Institute represents the full community of people and companies who make the majority of meat American families rely on every day. The Meat Institute’s hands-on regulatory and technical expertise, proactive advocacy, unique convening power, collaboration within and beyond animal agriculture, and sector-leading continuous improvement initiatives drive relationships and resources that ensure meat continues to be a vital, trusted pillar of healthy diets and thriving communities for generations to come. To learn more, visit: MeatInstitute.org.