FACILITIES MANAGEMENT JOURNAL JOBS
FM CAREERS - RECRUITMENT
It’s been estimated that around 10 per cent of
the UK workforce work in facilities management
across a multitude of sectors. This equates
to over 200,000 LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, +) people working in FM. Enabling
people to be their authentic self at work is
something which corporate Diversity and Inclusion
(D&I) programmes aim to achieve, but for LGBT+
people working within FM there is the additional
challenge of oˆ en working within clients’ places of
work, far from their employer’s D&I agenda, which
can lead to stress and feelings of isolation.
To help address this, the LGBT+ in FM network was
founded in 2016 to engage stakeholders in driving
fairness, inclusion and respect for LGBT+ people
working in the facilities industry. Its mission is to
collaborate to make the facilities management sector
the most attractive, inclusive and supportive industry
for the LGBT+ community in the UK and Ireland.
Explains Founder Sharon Slinger, Director,
Constructing Rainbows: “In 2016 I was Co-chair of
Carillion’s LGBT network and seeing how well intercompany
networks performed in other industries
I did a bit of Facebook and LinkedIn stalking to see
who the chairs’ were from the other networks. I knew
Mitie had set one up and Sodexo the year before, so
I managed to get hold of a few people and it started
from there.
“The intention was to share best practice, because I
don’t believe in working in siloes, but also as we grew
we realised there were smaller organisations that
didn’t have their own networks where LGBT+ people
within them might want that supportive network, so
we broadened our remit across industry.”
Adds committee member, Colin Kimber, Associate
Director at Pareto Facilities Management: “It was
about supporting people who worked in our industry
across the board, giving them a place that they could
meet, ask questions and get support. But we also
recognised that we could be a source of guidance and
best practice for organisations that were just starting
their journey. By being a voice for the community,
I think we’re starting to influence companies to
publicise what they are doing to make sure this is on
the agenda and it is something people get told about
in induction, which is a good beginning.”
FRONT LINE REACH
According to Slinger reaching front line sta has
been high up on the agenda since day one. “We
didn’t want the network to be just for o ice workers,
because the majority of industry are front line sta .
We’ve found that a lot of larger firms still struggle to
reach the front-line sta internally so as an external
organisation we try to be there if people want to
come to us.”
Getting that message across remains a challenge.
“FMs o en find themselves working for the client
organisation, and there’s an important part to play
that their employees know if they’ve any issues with
discrimination they’ll stand by them and sometimes
that is not emphasised enough. You are in someone
else’s work culture and it comes down to client values
and working together to make sure the culture has
synergies between both organisations.”
One of the other areas the LGBT network is
exploring is the client and procurement process.
The idea is that if clients highlight more of what they
require when it comes to diversity and inclusion, the
supply chain will act on it to win the business.
However, it seems the FM sector still lags behind
other sectors in achieving diversity.
Says Slinger: “I came across from construction
where they are trying really hard. Yet FM has an
easier starting point because there is already that
diversity in FM but there are not enough strategies on
improving on that. It accounts for a large part of this
country’s workforce and impacts on a lot of people,
and that’s frustrating.”
Institutes such as the IWFM says Kimber are, “wellintentioned
but not fast moving”. He argues that
organisations need to stop seeing D&I as a massive
challenge.
“You don’t have to fix the world, you just need to
be open enough for the conversations to happen.
And you don’t have to have all the answers, just be
prepared to listen.”
Unsurprisingly then, one of the network’s key
aims is to improve the understanding of the LGBT+
community within the FM industry.
“That is the education piece”, explains Slinger,
“and part of that is working in a client’s workplace
and ensuring the culture is right there. We’re here
to support and coach members to thrive and grow,
and we know that lockdown has impacted the LGBT+
community a lot, so what we have done is set up
co ee and chat sessions for people to come on Zoom
and chat. They’re the supportive events and we’ve
also got informative one’s for instance during the
recent LGBT history month.”
SPREADING THE MESSAGE
When you look at attracting people into the FM
profession, research has shown that the younger
generation want to work for organisations that are
inclusive, a message that the network is keen to share
with organisations struggling with their D&I remit.
Explains Slinger: “Younger people want to work
for organisations that look a er their people and if
companies don’t do that they’ll lose sta . What FM
needs to do is bring people up through the ranks, and
includes spotting talent on the front line. If we can
get a clearer visible way of supporting people up from
the ranks you’d get that diversity throughout the
sector, because when you look at front line sta it’s
way more diverse than management and there are
some talented people who could be your next MDs.”
As the pandemic hopefully draws to a close, the
network will look to organise face-to-face gatherings
once again, with the plan being to encourage some of
the big-name FM brands to sponsor events.
For more information: www.lgbt-in-fm.network
INCLUSIVE FOR ALL FMJ spoke to committee members Sharon Slinger and Colin Kimber of the LGBT+
in FM network which brings together a group of individuals from organisations
within the FM sector to foster inclusiveness and respect within FM
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