Chicago -- Increasingly global competition and a shrinking labor market have made recruiting talent more difficult than ever. Today's distributors must employ new and effective strategies if they want to find and keep the right people.

The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) recently released, "Confronting the Labor Shortage: Strategies and Solutions for Distributors Facing a Growing Skills Gap," a new report produced in partnership with the Association Education Alliance, which represents more than 40 wholesale distribution associations. The report provides detailed information on the challenges that distributors face when securing talent and how to successfully overcome these challenges.

The report is based on results from an online survey of 190 distributors, as well as interviews with participants; the report examined how traditional recruitment strategies are impacted by factors such as technology changes, misconceptions about the distribution channel and Baby Boomer retirement. About 94% of distributors surveyed report struggling to find the right people in this tight labor market. One optimistic pattern did emerge in the survey results however; those who are willing to hire employees based on potential rather than actual experience are seeing more success.

Learning outcomes include: What is causing the labor shortage; How training and apprenticeships can help bridge the skills gap; Using social media as a tool for recruitment; Rethinking messaging to prospects; Courting millennials with technology; How to build a successful internship program; and Tapping the veteran talent pool.

"We are excited to release this timely report designed to provide members with actionable strategies for finding and retaining top talent," said Kevin Gammonley, NAFCD executive director. "The report, developed in partnership with AEA, is informed by peers from across distributor sectors and pulls from real life success stories to deliver solutions for finding talent."

This report is only available to NAFCD members.

For more information, visit www.nafcd.org.