RETAINING QUALIFIED STAFF IN AN EMPLOYER’S MARKET

BY MARCIA O’CONNOR

Instilling a sense of value and purpose in FM work at the office

Many organizations have been experiencing labour shortages due to leave of absence, sicknesses, early retirement, and job changes. COVID-19 has also challenged facility professionals with adhering to protocols and safety measures, dealing with constant shifts and the opening and closing of the economy—all of which are impacting managing the facility.

We all want to retain and employ well-qualified staff and create a strong and healthy work culture within our FM departments. But how can we also develop a high-performance team that will stay in the company?

How do you keep your FM team engaged and committed amidst a labour shortage when other companies are actively recruiting qualified candidates to join their workforce and leaving gaps in your FM operations?

Instill a sense of value and purpose in FM work at the office and develop strategies to maintain this purpose is important. The most important ingredient in maintaining highperformance staff is knowing how healthy the company’s culture is. You will recruit and retain valued team members when the purpose of your company addresses its culture within.

Impactful and meaningful company action attracts and retains professionals that are interested in playing an active role, not only in the inner workings of the company, but brands the product and services your company provides. If your office culture has a shared purpose with strong values and goals, it will develop strong meaningful relationships within internal and external stakeholders. This will carry forth to your customers.

Here is a list of ideas to help maintain and motivate your current FM team • Regularly review company values; the challenges and transformations. • Encourage collaboration, trust, camaraderie, and connections, thus empowering your team to make necessary decisions should challenges arise. • Recognize successes. • Open lines of communication with feedback will maintain motivation, positive reinforcement, interest, and cooperation and provide room for discussion on the team’s standards and accountability. • Set up collective goals and performance evaluations. • Offer discussions about any changes or challenges. • Acknowledge health and wellbeing practices at home and/or the office environment. • Detect early possibilities of conflict and

set up conflict resolutions that are key to keeping the lines of communication open and trustworthy. • Discuss and assess with your teams the last couple of years: lessons learned, what the team is proud of, progress, and the impact of their efforts. • Plan virtual and/or face-to-face team building sessions. • Encourage professional development through seminars and courses. • Recruiting the right people with a diverse range of expertise and backgrounds: agile personalities to take on new challenges, people who know how to be a team player, and managers that can instill team leadership are critical as we move towards the next normal.

Being attuned and maintaining best practices in the workplace will further reinforce team retention. Here are some to consider: • A four-day work week with

blended responsibilities amongst the department. • A blend of working in the office and remote working. • Higher wages, perks, and benefits aligned with team priorities. • Excellent compensation and competitive salaries. • Adequately sharing wealth that employees bring to company (this relates to societal change/culture). • Desire to work towards common goals and opportunities. • Regular performance coaching and mentorship. • Career coaching and training: internal advancement opportunities, a path for career growth within the company and up-skilling and professional development opportunities.

It’s an employer’s market out there. Keep your company and FM team vital. Have your eye on creating retention and job stability within. Keep work interesting so it encourages communication and connection between everyone on the FM team and the company’s purpose. Creating a sense of community and belonging will increase staff retention and make the work environment a pleasant one to be in. | CFM&D

Marcia O’Connor is president of AM FM Consulting Group. She is a strategicminded leader with more than 20-plus years of progressive experience in corporate real estate, asset management, and integrated facilities management. Marcia has a passion for mentoring young professionals, and helping people, teams, and organizations see their potential. and lead instructor for the University of Toronto School of Continued Studies’ facilities management courses, including the FM Certification Program and many others.

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IS NOW A PRIORITY IN FACILITY MANAGEMENT

Sustainability has taken precedence in facility management, and for good reasons. Beyond the fact that greener operations unlock savings and protect asset values, tenants and investors are more interested than ever in partnering with facilities that demonstrate an awareness for – and resilience against – evolving climate issues.

“The idea of sustainability has been around for decades, but the awareness around climate-related issues has evolved,” agrees Kim Saunders, RPA®|HP®, CLO®, BOMA Fellow, Property Manager with East Port Properties, adding, “Today, there’s a recognition that real estate accounts for a signifi cant portion of the world’s energy usage – up to 40% according to the United Nations – and that property managers and operators have a big role to play in contributing to a healthier, more resilient planet.”

Prioritizing sustainability in asset management also makes business sense. Facilities that embrace energy-saving equipment and eco-forward practices are more resilient and cost-effective to run. It’s little wonder, then, that a recent Bloomberg report states Global ESG assets will surpass $53 trillion by 2025 to represent over a third of the world’s total assets under management1 .

In short: It pays to put environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies at the top of the facility management agenda. And to do that, says Saunders, facility teams require the training, skills, and support to lead the way.

“To be successful, [facility managers] need to know a bit about everything when it comes to sustainability,” says Saunders. “They need to know what technologies or processes will make their buildings more effi cient, and they have to be able to sell sustainable strategies and investments to owners and other stakeholders.”

Going further with BOMI Championing sustainability in facilities management takes more than good intentions. It requires additional training and resources to ensure impactful strategies take root. It’s for this reason that programs like BOMI’s High Performance (HP)

Sustainable Buildings and Facilities Management Administrator programs are designed to provide facility managers with the tools, resources, and skills to rise above evolving climate change challenges.

“BOMI’s FMA® designation course basically prepares you for anything that comes your way,” says Saunders. “It gives you the additional skills and knowledge to take your job to the next level or even take steps towards your future career in facilities management.”

“I always tell my coworkers to plan for the job they want, and that’s what the FMA® program allows,” she adds.

BOMI’s FMA® program is complemented by the organization’s HP program, a designation source that offers a more granular exploration of this fast-evolving topic.

“The BOMI-HP® program is deep dive into the things you do as a property or facility manager, how they relate to sustainability, and how to get future ESG initiatives off the ground,“ Saunders explains.

“And that’s an important piece,” she continues. “To make any progress on sustainability, you need to know how to engage stakeholders and communicate both the fi nancial and social benefi ts.”

Indeed, gaining buy-in for sustainable initiatives can be a barrier for facilities management teams. It is a skill that requires insight into how investments in cleaner, more effi cient operations translate into long-term savings. And that’s not always an easy sell.

“I remember trying to implement daytime cleaning among our tenants because I knew it would save energy,” Saunders recalls. “I got a lot of resistance at fi rst until one of the tenants fi nally agreed to try it on a pilot basis. I kept track of the results and shared them with other tenants, and pretty soon everyone started seeing the benefi ts. Soon after, they started asking me to sign them up.”

The good news is that it’s getting easier to sell building owners and tenants on sustainability – both in regards to the return on investment and the positive impact on tenant relations. The key, Saunders notes, is communicating the value: “Once people understand how sustainability benefi ts and operation, it’s easier to get that support and engagement. And now, because climate change is such a public issue, that buy-in is becoming easier to secure.”

The pressure is on facility teams to go further with sustainability and ESG. For those in the industry, that means understanding what needs to be done and acquiring the skills to take action.

Learn more about BOMI’s FMA® (www.bomicanada.ca/facilitiesmanagement-administrator) and BOMI-HP® Designation (www. bomicanada.ca/bomi-hp) courses.