2025’s Most Read WorkForge Blogs

This year, our blog followed the same path as our conversations with customers.  

 The posts that resonated most in 2025 were the ones rooted in manufacturers’ day-to-day reality—how teams navigated a tight labor market, shifting regulations, inflation, and other ongoing pressures. 

These five blogs stood out because they addressed those challenges head-on. If you missed any (or planned to circle back), here’s what makes each one worth reading. 

1. What a Government Shutdown Means for Food Manufacturers

A government shutdown doesn’t stop production — but it can change where accountability lives. 

This article breaks down what shifts when enforcement slows, and what responsibilities remain squarely on manufacturers’ shoulders. It’s a grounded look at why relying on inspections alone is risky and why internal systems matter most when external oversight becomes inconsistent. If you’ve ever wondered how exposed your brand and operation really is during periods of regulatory uncertainty, this piece gives you a clear, practical perspective. 

Read the full article. 

2. Cross-Skilling Isn’t a Pipe Dream Anymore 

A last-minute callout happens. The schedule tightens. Someone suggests a backup — but no one’s fully sure when they last ran that line or what they’re cleared to do. A small disruption turns into a scramble. 

This article uses that familiar moment to show why cross-skilling so often stays informal — and why that breaks down under pressure. When training lives in binders or people’s heads, coverage gaps show up fast. 

It then shifts to what changes when skills are visible, training is accessible, and managers know who can step in with confidence. 

If your operation feels one callout away from disruption, this piece shows how cross-skilling becomes a stabilizer instead of a “someday” goal. 

Read the full article. 

 3. A Masterclass in Workforce Innovation

Built on insights from Wendy Bushell, Chief People Officer at Palermo’s Pizza, and Cindie Serrano, Director of Organizational Development at Lincoln Premium Poultry, this blog captures how real food manufacturing leaders are rethinking workforce development under real-world pressure. 

The article focuses on practical shifts — making skills visible, clarifying career paths, and treating training as an operational system, not a side initiative. 

Together, Wendy and Cindie show what workforce innovation looks like when it’s grounded in daily operations — fewer surprises, clearer expectations, and teams that are better prepared to step in when it matters. 

If you want examples of what’s working inside real facilities — not just what sounds good on a slide — this is a must-read. 

Read the full article. 

4. As Food Safety Enforcement Slows, the Spotlight Shifts to Your Brand

When inspections decrease, the brand risk doesn’t. 

This article looks at what happens when regulatory presence becomes less consistent — fewer visits, longer gaps, less day-to-day oversight — and why that shift quietly transfers responsibility to manufacturers themselves. 

The key point is simple: even if inspectors show up less often, consumers don’t lower their expectations. They still assume products are safe, processes are sound, and standards are being met every single day. And when something goes wrong, the question isn’t “Where were the regulators?” — it’s “How did your company let this happen?” 

This piece is a reminder that manufacturers now carry the full burden of protecting your brand and driving compliance — whether anyone is watching or not. 

Read the full article.

5. How to Go Beyond Food Safety: Lessons from 2024 Recalls

Recalls don’t come out of nowhere — and the last 18 months made that impossible to ignore. 

A steady stream of high-profile recall headlines, put food safety failures squarely in the public eye. What stood out wasn’t just the volume of recalls, but how often the same underlying issues surfaced once the dust settled. 

This article looks past the headlines to examine what’s usually in place long before a recall ever happens: inconsistent training, unclear ownership, and procedures that exist on paper but don’t always translate the same way on the floor. 

Instead of focusing on the recall event itself, the piece works backward — showing how everyday decisions around training, documentation, and follow-through quietly compound risk over time. It makes the case that most recalls aren’t the result of a single mistake, but from systems that stop at compliance instead of ensuring real-world competency. 

Read the full article.  

What These Five Stories Had in Common 

Looking back, the pattern is clear. 

These stories weren’t about trends or checklists. They were about protecting the business by investing in the people closest to the work — the frontline teams whose decisions, training, and readiness show up in safety, quality, and continuity every day. 

Thank you for spending time with us in 2025 — for reading, sharing, and engaging in the conversations that matter. We’ll keep bringing practical, honest insights into 2026, with the same focus on building stronger operations by supporting the people who make them run.