Facilities management (FM) is a demanding industry which requires hard work and determination on every employee’s behalf.
Whether you are planning to enter an entry-level job or jump straight into a managerial role, take a look at the following skills and see if you have what it takes for a career in facility management.
What Is Facilities Management?
For anyone who might be interested in going along the FM career path but is not quite sure what it entails, here is a brief explanation. Facilities management refers to the maintenance of an organisation’s buildings and equipment.
The two major types of FM are Hard FM and Soft FM. Hard FM refers to services which affect the actual structures or systems which make a facility work. These services can include plumbing, structural and electrical maintenance. Whereas, Soft FM services extend past building management.
Cleaning, security and grounds maintenance are the most common examples. As you can imagine, several job titles are needed to run an FM company successfully.
So, what skills do you need to be considered as an FM worker?
- Fantastic Communication
Dealing with the general public is something which is done on a daily basis when you work in an FM company, therefore communication skills are a necessity. If you work as an engineer you must be polite and considerate with face-to-face clients while out on a job. The same goes for the customer support service team when making telephone calls and emails. To retain happy customers, yourself and your employees must be able to communicate effectively with internal and external people.
- Resistibility
There may be times where you feel like cracking under pressure, especially if deadlines are fast approaching, employees are not collaborating with you or your hard work has gone unnoticed.
If these things happen, it’s vital to stay calm and collected. Where some people panic, others become naturally level-headed. Sometimes resistibility comes with experience, but nevertheless being prepared for a dilemma goes a long way.
- Adaptability
In the FM world, every day is different with unexpected problems occurring and dynamic tasks to complete. A go-with-the-flow attitude would be a huge help and a job in FM would most likely suit your personality.
However, if the mere thought of irregularity stresses you out, it’s never too late to recalibrate how you approach changeable situations.
- Attention to Detail
Organisations depend on FM services to get something done on time, to a high standard with the correct procedures in place. Knowing this, every job your company receives should be carefully planned and performed with all details covered. An ability to work with numbers is also beneficial.
Tasks like calculating the cost of materials and assets for a specific job will be a lot easier to handle if your numeracy skills are up to scratch.
- Fantastic Organisation
When you work in the FM industry expect to see a vast amount of unassigned work which needs organising. Business commodities like invoices, purchase orders and schedules can be quickly misplaced if you and other staff don’t keep on top of it.
Many building maintenance companies use field management software such as Joblogic to assist them with controlling their workload. Such software can transform a company’s management process by replacing physical spreadsheets and creating an effective workflow system.
- Great Analytical and Decision-Making Skills
This one is especially important for managerial positions. The ability to analyse a situation and make the right decision for the organisation is crucial. Facility managers deal with lots of information daily and they must assess their company’s financial status and goals to choose the most suitable strategy. Other roles also require a high-level of analytical skills such as the marketing team or general office staff.
- Ability to Take Leadership
To run a successful business, a facility manager must be the key figurehead in motivating, maintaining and supporting a group of employees. They are the glue which hold the operations of a firm in place.
Managers often need to coordinate with salespeople and delegate work to other employees while at the same time working on different projects. As well as being able to lead effectively, you must accept responsibility and be honest.
- Deep Understanding and Enthusiasm
All in all, to progress in an FM role, you must be enthusiastic about the sector and have an understanding of business trends and how those will impact FM companies.
If you have your eye on a certain business you would like to work for, do a vast amount of research on what the business is about, how they operate and how they could improve. Knowing these details before an interview will put you a step ahead of other candidates.
Conclusion
Deciding to take a job in facilities management can be a huge leap for your career development. You might already possess a lot of these skills but putting your talents into practice is another matter.
Before committing to a permanent position, it might be worth taking a part-time, temporary or even voluntary role to get a feel for the industry.
However, if you are confident that you would be an excellent addition to the FM world, ensure your CV is polished and that it covers a majority of the skills mentioned in this article.
