FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
A survey by Indeed Flex found a third of UK businesses find themselves short-staffed at least once a week due to worker illness. FMJ brought together Indeed Flex, client side FMs and a legal expert to discuss the challenges of recruiting and deploying frontline staff
• Sara Bean, Editor, FMJ
• Michael Farrier, Solutions Director, Indeed Flex
• Nick Clement, Business Development Director, Indeed Flex
• Jenni Gallop, Director of Estates & Facilities /H&S Provide Community (NHS)
• Alan Hutchinson, Facilities Director Howard Kennedy LLP
• Alastair Bishop, Head of Estates and FM, Kings College School
• Alexandra Mizzi, Legal Director, Howard Kennedy LLP
• Luke Lester, Head of Workplace, Southwark Council
• Russell Burnaby, Head of Facilities Management, Brent Council
• Stephen Bott, HR & Facilities Manager, Charterhouse Holdings PLC
• Tony Cook, Head of Property and Facilities, Clarion Housing Group
Beginning the discussion, Michael Farrier, Solutions Director at Indeed Flex outlined the report’s main findings. He revealed that 24 per cent (two in five) companies are using more temporary staff to plug gaps since a year ago. The reasons for this are manifold.
Organisations aren’t necessarily investing in the current workforce, are not leveraging necessary technologies, have problems with sickness, issues with quality and may struggle with seasonal shortages. “It’s a staffing paradox that everybody’s trying to solve,” he said.
These issues resonated with our panel. A participant remarked: “With what’s happening to the economy and particularly inflation, it is often the highest bidder that gets that individual, so you want to find ways to keep them.”
In many sectors, for instance healthcare and education, staff must also be vetted before being allowed to do the job. A panelist explained: “We’ve got bank staff, a pool of people that are pre-approved and pre-vetted. That includes our outsourced cleaning contract, so we’ve got a list of pre-approved people who we know can cover gaps.”
It was agreed that for many low paid workers, it’s the money, not the brand that attracts them, and why stay loyal to one hirer when they can potentially earn 50p an hour more elsewhere? This, it was agreed, is just one more reason why employers must strive to treat cleaners and other frontline staff as part of their team, not as an adjunct to the organisation.
Although one panelist lauded the convenience of outsourcing their cleaning contract where any absences or performance issues are “the agency’s problem”, he has nonetheless worked hard to make the cleaners feel a part of the company culture. “They are treated as if they are my staff,” he explained, taking part in team building days, Christmas parties and even receiving gift vouchers for good work done.
This approach was wholehearted endorsed by Farrier, who argued organisations need to consider why people should want to work in an office, a school, local government or in healthcare. “Look at what makes your work culture different, what makes it special and a great place to work. Find those things and lean into them.”
