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Next in flooring: Perspectives on the flooring industry’s labor challenges

In the flooring industry, two significant labor trends are making waves. One trend is the shift in generational demographics, with older, seasoned professionals inching toward retirement and younger, tech-savvy professionals entering the scene. The second trend is the installer shortage, a more specific challenge that has industry professionals seeking innovative solutions. As the General Manager of Flooring at Cyncly, I’ve been carefully monitoring these changes.

The first trend—generational change—is reshaping how we approach technology in our industry. The influx of younger professionals brings higher expectations for modern, efficient, and user-friendly tech tools. At Cyncly, we’ve responded to this expectation with our software initiative, RFMS Next. Our goal with RFMS Next is to modernize business management in the flooring industry, providing a more user-friendly and accessible software environment for those new to the field.

On the other hand, the installer shortage is a more specific, pressing issue that the industry is facing. This shortage is particularly challenging, as it threatens the very foundation of our industry—the installation process. Thankfully, industry associations are stepping up, launching initiatives to encourage more individuals to consider becoming flooring installers.

A significant aspect of this push involves training programs in community colleges and trade schools. Additionally, organizations such as the Floor Covering Education Foundation are making great strides in preparing the next generation of flooring installers. These programs play a vital role in combating the installer shortage by creating a pipeline of skilled workers ready to meet the industry’s needs.

Incorporating digital tools such as flooring estimating software into these training programs offers practical, hands-on experience with the tools that will be a significant part of their work. This strategy not only improves efficiency but also provides a beneficial training ground for those entering the industry as installers.

Facing these labor trends—generational change and the installer shortage—requires us to innovate and adapt. I believe that with thoughtful planning, investment in training, and the smart use of technology, we can rise to the challenge. The future of labor in the flooring industry is not without its difficulties, but it is also rich with opportunities for positive change.