A career in Facilities Management is an incredibly rewarding choice, with a diverse range of roles and opportunities.
You get to be responsible for people’s wellbeing and peace of mind, for the safety and longevity of buildings, for innovative ways of working.
During the pandemic, facilities professionals were thrown into centre stage and flourished in the limelight. They came up with strategies to keep essential workers safe and healthy. They gave people ways to continue doing their grocery shopping. They’ve helped give us all the confidence to venture back into the world again.
There are certain traits that you can cultivate to have a successful career in Facilities Management. Here are some that we see coming up time and time again from hiring managers.
1. Multi-tasking
Working in FM requires juggling lots of priorities, both on the frontline and in the office. If you’re not responsible for several different accounts, you’re at least likely to be responsible for multiple parts of a contract. This will mean keeping on top of scheduling and holidays, making sure compliance, RAMS and quality audits are up to date, communicating with your client and managing your stakeholder relationships – you need to be able to keep a lot of plates spinning to have a successful career in facilities management!
2. Problem Solving
The most successful FM professionals have the ability to think outside the box to find solutions to client problems. You need to be able to align the needs of the business with the requirements of your client, and sometimes that means getting creative in your thinking! All sorts of problems can be thrown up in the middle of a contract, so you’ll need to be able to think on your feet to keep everyone happy!
3. Innovative thinking
More than ever, innovation is a crucial part of the world of FM, and if you want to make a career in facilities management, you need to understand these innovations, and how you can apply them to save money, improve sustainability and increase service outcomes. And of course, that can be everything from the impact of flow cleaning on shift lengths, to the use of AI and sensor technology to create smart buildings.
4. Communication
A career in facilities management relies on your ability to communicate with a wide range of people – your team, your clients, your line manager, as well as any third-party providers, suppliers and partners. Being able to communicate effectively and efficiently is important to make sure everyone is on the same page.
5. Empathy
No matter what gets thrown your way, the biggest, most important part of your job is people. The world of FM revolves around the people on the ground, the people on the front line, the people delivering the services. To be successful in FM, you need to manage with empathy and understanding in order the gain the trust and loyalty of your team, and get the best out of them.
If you’re considering a career in FM or moving into a role in an FM company, we’re on hand to help you.
We’re specialists in FM recruitment, so we’ve got a lot of knowledge, and a host of resources to help you land your dream job.
Get in touch if you want a chat with one of our experts.