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Futureproofing the talent pool in line with increasing demand for multi-skilled FMs

Futureproofing the talent pool in line with increasing demand for multi-skilled FMs
June has been a busy month for the ever-evolving FM industry. At the recent Facilities Show, there was a strong focus on how to attract, nurture and develop talent. Considering the world of work is changing at a phenomenal pace, there is understandably a heightened demand for talented facilities management (FM) professionals. As the industry is becoming increasingly recognised as being a vital contributor in the looming workplace revolution, FMs need to possess a wider array of skills than ever before. This is because, along with the brutal war for talent, expectations have soared.
 
But is enough being done to train people with the right skills, and is FM working practice as good as it can be? The workplace consultants at Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA) have cause to believe not.
 
“In RE and FM, people often have to lead initiatives that don’t naturally fit within their traditional skillsets,” said Karen Plum, AWA’s Director of Research and Development. “Professionals in these industries have to be cannier, understand more about people and what they need to work effectively.”
 
Physical and technical infrastructures are becoming increasingly complex. FMs need to manage a vast array of technology in the workplace, while adapting to the demands of modern buildings. However, in FM, the human element remains a critical driver. The people working in the industry, therefore, need to know more than how to keep a building running; they also need to be aware and work with others in order to keep the people within a space happy, healthy and engaged.
 
Recognising that FM professionals need to develop multi-disciplinary skills, AWA is passionate about increasing the capability of people in the sector, in order to get more from FM. As such, the consultancy is joining forces with the industry’s Young Managers Forum to offer four complimentary study mornings. The rising stars as part of the network will be privy to new thinking about supporting the cognitive performance of their workforce, how to deliver workplaces that support the productivity of knowledge worker populations, and how managing a more virtual/agile workforce requires different approaches if it’s to be successful.  
 
What’s more, having successfully delivered three “bootcamp” style training courses in agile working, AWA is planning a fourth for the autumn season. The two-day comprehensive course is designed to give FM and real estate professionals a solid grounding and understanding of how to deliver agile working in an organisation. The highly interactive course addresses practical, organisational and behavioural challenges in delivering agile working, drawing on AWA’s 20 years experience supporting clients and members of the Workplace PIN (Performance Innovation Network) – for whom it was originally designed.
 
www.advanced-workplace.com

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