FACILITIES MANAGEMENT JOURNAL JOBS
REFERENCE NOTES
(1) https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-duringcoronavirus
covid-19/o ices-and-contact-centres
(2) www.researchgate.net/publication/327209955_The_
Next_Generation_of_Facility_Management_Nurturing_
Millennial_Leadership
(3) https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2013/09/12/
millenials-will-soon-rule-the-world-but-how-will-theylead/#
10ae0c72227a
FM CAREERS - RECRUITMENT
BUILDING TALENT
In May, the government unveiled a “conditional
plan” to reopen society, which encouraged
people to return to work if it was safe to do
so. To help businesses deliver a "COVID-secure"
workplace, guidance(1) was published that included
information on social distancing, managing visitors,
cleaning and personal protective equipment (PPE).
While always an integral part of the workforce,
building services and FM professionals have become
a focal point for many businesses looking to reassure
workers that it’s safe to re-enter the premises. The
increased reliance on professionals in this field has
meant that employers are now exploring ways they
can bolster the building services element of their
workforce, but is this easier said than done?
SKILLS SHORTAGES
Securing talent in building services and FM was
a challenge long before COVID-19, and it’s set to
become a lot more challenging. Any FM recruiter
will tell you that one of the biggest challenges is
receiving candidate applications that are strong
enough to progress to the next stage. Right now,
there are typically around 18 roles for every
candidate in building services and FM. And, if
recruiters are finding it challenging, then those
companies handling recruitment in-house will be
having an even tougher time sourcing the most
qualified applicants.
Bear in mind that this is a period when hiring has
been put on hold for a lot of businesses, so consider
the situation when employers start looking to rehire
the sta they’ve let go, or want to bolster their
building services and FM o ering.
Despite a somewhat bleak outlook, there are still
several things that employers can do right now
to ensure they improve their chances of securing
talent, as well as some considerations that should
feed into their long-term strategies.
WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
While there’s no silver bullet for attracting and
retaining talent, there are three key areas that
employers can focus on currently:
Talent pipeline. There may not be an abundance
of professionals on the market, but that doesn’t
stop you connecting with talent in the market.
Those with an Applicant Tracking System
(ATS) should look back at referred candidates,
former employees, interns, and candidates who
reached the final stages of a previous hiring
process. Earmark people for re-engagement and
get in touch to tell them you’re expanding your
network. Remember to be respectful in your
approach, especially as you’re unlikely to know
their current situation both professionally and
personally.
Talent supply chain. It might sound harsh, but
now’s the ideal time to evaluate your suppliers
on how they’ve handled themselves during the
pandemic. Finding skilled professionals is only
going to get more challenging, so you need to
make sure you are partnered with suppliers
robust enough to support the evolving talent
needs of your business.
Flexible recruitment strategy. Contracting is a
growing market across all industries, providing
flexibility for workers and enabling businesses
to scale talent up and down. With the months
following the lockdown lift set to be a peak
period for building services and FM, temporary
specialists can help you access talent quickly
to support the increased workload. The best
way to speed up the process is to team up with
a temporary staffing recruiter, preferably one
that specialises in your sector as they’ll already
have a contractor database and talent pipeline
to draw from.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
If businesses remain unable to recruit the right
building services and FM talent, they will have
no choice but to invest in developing the skills of
existing employees and new recruits. This would
require a significant investment in both time and
money, as they would need highly-skilled people
from the o set to kickstart the upskilling as well
as upgrade the overall learning and development
infrastructure. In short, such a substantial and
immediate capital injection coupled with ongoing
financial support therea er would be a step too far
for some businesses, especially when we’re staring
down the barrel of a recession set to rival 2008.
With the skills gap in this sector set to widen, we’ve
reached a tipping point. The future of the profession
is technology, namely automation and machine
learning, which looks set to replace certain technical
job functions that companies are struggling to hire
for today.
International Facility Management Associate
(IFMA) Fellow, Dr Dean Kashiwagi(2) believes that FM
roles will evolve into:
FM Professional. C-suite professionals with a focus
on leadership instead of technical skills.
FM Associate. Highly specialised technical experts
capable of accomplishing tasks that cannot be
automated.
Dr Kashiwagi’s role predictions complement the
Millennial and Gen Z workforce who have grown up
with technology and are therefore more comfortable
incorporating automation into their daily lives.
Furthermore, as stated by independent Analyst
and Founder of Bersin by Deloitte, Josh Bersin,
millennials are being hired into leadership positions
at younger ages more than any other generation(3).
So, perhaps the future of building services and FM
leadership is brighter than it seems. Until then, all
businesses can do is review their talent strategies
with today’s increasingly competitive market in
mind, and get ready to go to war to secure the best
people.
Julie Jarvis MD of property & built environment recruitment fi rm
PRS discusses the increased demand for building services and FM
professionals in light of the UK’s tentative move out of lockdown
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