FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Amid global economic uncertainty, IWFM’s 2025 Market Outlook Survey reports good news for the workplace and facilities management (WFM) sector, following last year’s call to “keep investing”.
The results published in IWFM’s report, subtitled ‘Facilitate the future – keep on growing’ suggest that message has resonated with this sector, with the report showing evidence of market growth and a concentration of positive market trends:
- 42 per cent of respondents reported an increase in workspace investment and 33 per cent increased their area of space managed.
- A majority reported an increase in budgets, higher than levels reported in 2024.
- Respondents heeded the call to invest in areas that drive productivity with technology, carbon reduction solutions and skills and training all seeing an increase in investment.
While optimism is warranted, perennial challenges persist as inflation fuels costs and pricing and budgets remain tight, notably in the public sector. Despite the investment uptick, recruitment difficulties and skill shortages are a big constraint expected to worsen without action. Potential warnings emerge around the broad sustainability agenda. Virtually every responding organisation had priority focus areas here, mostly in carbon reduction and energy efficiency, however the proportion identifying in each area fell back. Commitment in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is holding up, but momentum has tailed off.
IWFM CEO Linda Hausmanis said: “Workplace and facilities management transforms organisations. In a challenging landscape, it is encouraging to see investment and optimism which can only fuel the potential for unlocking crucial organisational value. Our recommendations should both inform budgets, nor least on skills and serve as a strong driver for IWFM to continue to advocate strongly for the sector, profession and community.”
Director of Communication and Insight Jenny Thomas added: “The post-survey environment presents undeniable challenges: economic turbulence and ongoing inflationary pressures. Only time will reveal the full impact of this evolving climate on the triple bottom line. IWFM’s message is to keep investing, continue to pursue actions which work, progress towards growth and embrace innovation.
“A real strength of Market Outlook 2025 is that it embeds years of data, offering a clear perspective. This time we dive into topical investment themes and offer actionable insights for organisations to drive value and support positive outcomes. The research will inform IWFM’s research and insight programme, a key offering for IWFM members.”
IWFM will be holding a supporting webinar on Wednesday 7 May from 12:00 pm, which will add further context and detail to the report. To register click here.
Workplace management solutions provider, Matrix Booking, has published a new free guide on how to create workspaces that meet the demands of the current and future workforce.
For those businesses looking to encourage more employees into the office, or wanting to improve their experience overall, ‘How facilities and workplace managers can shape the office of the future’ provides insights and the tools you need to ensure your environment meets the changing nature of employee preferences, employer requests, and evolving styles of work.
To download the guide click here.
