FM
7 essential skills for project managers in facilities management
Skilled project managers are in demand. By 2027, employers will need 87.7% million project management professionals, and there’s already been a 15% growth since 2007.
Ryan Mcneil
Ryan McNeil is the Director of our facilities management business, and oversees our Consultancy service. He is an expert in the FM market, and advises our clients on latest trends.
2023 is just round the corner, what's your recruitment strategy looking like?
The Facilities Management sector has been propelled out of obscurity over the past couple of years, and despite the fact we’re heading into a recession, we’re only seeing demand for FM grow, and we expect that to continue throughout 2023.
And it’s unsurprising considering the huge challenges facing the building, property and workplace industries at the moment. From enticing workers back to the office, to reimagining real estate for a new generation, there’s a lot to contend with.
As customer need evolves, and FM continues to grow and shift to keep up, have you considered the key changes you may need to make to your teams and your hiring processes in 2023?
1. Workplace Culture will be a priority
The workplace is changing, and so are the needs of employers. In the next five years, organisations will consider better ways to retain and engage their people. 50% of employers want workers back in the office rather than remote working. Employers will have to consider a strategy to encourage more to come into the workplace.
Some employers are starting to recognise the issue and working on ways to improve their company culture. Yet, many others still have ways to go before they get close to where they need to be in encouraging healthy lifestyles for their people.
Top areas to consider with your current employees:
· Workplace culture
· Employee satisfaction
· Employee retention
· Employee engagement
· Employee training
2. Millennials & Gen Z
With 40% of FMs expected to retire in the next eight years, you should be thinking about Millennials & Gen Z, and as you might expect, their needs differ from others. Since Millennials constitute the largest generation in the workforce, their impact will continue to be felt for years to come. To attract and retain Millennials, you must understand what they are looking for in an employer.
their top priorities include:
Flexibility: Millennials value a workplace that is flexible on work hours and location and lets them work remotely or telecommute occasionally.
Collaboration: Millennials want a place where they can collaborate with others within their department and across departments.
Fun: One of the most important things about working is having fun! Perhaps surprisingly given their reputation for being glued to their phones 24/7 (or maybe not), millennials prefer face-to-face interactions with co-workers over technology.
Professional development: Millennials want to join a workforce where they know they can develop in their role professionally and personally.
"Facilities Management is the perfect industry for you when starting out your career. Not only is it truly exciting, we define the future for all sectors. It also has the unique ability to allow people to make easy career pivots between different disciplines from operations, HR, Finance or Health and Safety; to Marketing, PR and much more!"
Nobody starts their life wanting to become an FM. It is usually wanting to be an astronaut, policeman or fire fighter. Well the irony of having aspirations to become any of these roles normally revolves around helping others, making a difference, job variety, sense of purpose and career progression. Incredible parallels to an FM. Although not as modern or sexy the FM industry offers so much more than I think we initially imagine. The famous story about During a visit to the NASA Space Centre in 1962, President Kennedy noticed a janitor carrying a broom. He interrupted his tour, walked over to the man and said: “Hi, I'm Jack Kennedy, what are you doing?” The janitor responded: “I'm helping put a man on the moon, Mr President.” He was part of the FM team who put the man on the moon. If the facility wasn't clean then the scientists wouldn't want to work etc. etc.
For Millennials the industry might not be seen as the most revered and attractive but the opportunities are endless as I am delighted to say I have experienced myself. You can travel across the world with FM experience and knowledge, the transferable skills and true difference you can make every day is the reason I love it. I think at the moment there is a real drive and shift in FM to modernise and transform through innovation, technology and reform. What a time to join the industry to make change and help modernise an industry. There is a lot of great things happening in FM at the moment and are truly at the forefront of making a difference everyday (cliché doesn't escape me :D).
3. The great un-retirement.
As the cost-of-living crisis will continue into 2023, many people are living with a level of uncertainty. With this not expected to calm until mid-2023, many workers who expected to retire will continue to work and some may even come back to work if they’ve already retired.
More than half of the increase has been attributed to men over 65 – their economic activity levels have increased by 66,000, or 8.5%, over the past year – while 37,000, or 6.8%, have been attributed to women over 65 who are in or looking for jobs.
These FMs can add huge value to your projects, but will likely consider working on an interim basis.
An interim candidate would be a wise choice if you’re looking for someone who is able to jump right into the job. With the cost-of-living crisis, you also won’t have to worry about long-term financial commitments.
4. Technology
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a broad term that encompasses many technologies, including:
- Machine Learning & IoT
- Deep Learning
- Reinforcement Learning
These types of AI are already being used in FM. It’s expected that technology will become more prevalent as its adoption increases. The use of AI can help automate processes and tasks that would otherwise be performed by human workers. By automating repetitive tasks like cleaning floors and monitoring security cameras, the number of employees needed might be reduced. AI can improve efficiency, productivity, and safety in facilities. It’ll also improve the reliability of FM services by helping them respond more efficiently to facilities issues.
When looking at your hiring needs, technical ability will be a priority. With new tech systems being implemented you’ll want candidates to have some experience with new technologies so it doesn’t slow down efficiency with new starters. If this isn’t possible as part of your onboarding process, you may want to consider how you can implement extra training so new starters can get up to scratch as soon as possible.
5. Robotics
Robotics is the use of robots to perform tasks. Robotics is a growing field in facilities management and it’s already being utilised in many ways. Robots are expected to be used more often in facilities management over the next few years, which means they will become an increasingly important part of this sector’s workforce.
When looking at your hiring needs, technical ability will be a priority. With new tech systems being implemented you’ll want candidates to have some experience with new technologies so it doesn’t slow down efficiency with new starters. If this isn’t possible as part of your onboarding process, you may want to consider how you can implement extra training so new starters can get up to scratch as soon as possible.
In facilities management, robotics can be used to perform routine tasks such as cleaning or providing security. Therefore may be fewer job openings in certain lower-level FM roles.
However, training and upskilling some of your lower-level workers could prove beneficial in the long run. This is a great way to show your loyalty to employees and the opportunity for professional growth in your organisation. It’s estimated that 50% of entry-level workers are from more diverse backgrounds than those at the top, so you’re also showing your commitment to building a diverse workforce at all levels.
Facilities Management is a competitive and growing landscape...
As the industry grows, companies are looking for highly skilled individuals with a range of experience in facilities management. The growing demand for skilled professionals is leading to more opportunities within FM than ever before—and not just for entry-level employees either. Employees at all levels can benefit from their personal development plan (PDP) to take advantage of those opportunities as they arise.
Facilities Management is a competitive and growing landscape. A lot of people are looking for jobs in this field, but many companies need skilled workers to fill their open positions. If you’re looking at hiring a facilities manager, it’s important that you know what future trends will affect your hiring in 2023 and beyond so that you can prepare now!
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