Market pressures continue to push the facilities management (FM) industry to take action and innovate. In pursuit of cost efficiencies and response to industry transformation needs, agile and effective interventions are required. One critical area that both the workforce and the industry need to focus on is upskilling on-the-job. This remains a top priority for the industry due to its multifold and unique benefits.
With each passing day, the urgency for upskilling in the FM sector is increasing. Companies must invest in training their workforce to achieve operational excellence, drive growth, and gain a competitive edge. As the industry evolves, it faces inherent challenges such as skill deficits amid global changes in labour dynamics; this has become a colossal issue, especially for the frontline workforce. The industry needs to calibrate its response, especially in the context of the ongoing FM industry woes with waning profit margins. The case of upskilling in the context of addressing inefficiencies from workforce productivity to increased sustainability and regulatory requirements, as well as the need for continued innovation in building automation and technologies, occupies the centre stage.
Against this backdrop, FM companies and professionals must rise to meet these challenges. Addressing the pressures of lower margins through upskilling the workforce is indeed the magic wand for boosting efficiency. Therefore, to improve performance and upend profit margins, on-the-job upskilling is an absolute necessity. The FM community needs to embrace innovation and agility while maintaining focus on continuous learning within its learning and development (L&D) strategies.
It is crucial for companies to develop relevant course materials, training programs, and assessment tools to maximise impact whilst for professionals to go on L&D outreach to empower self-learning.
Here are a few key areas in the FM domain where learning and upskilling efforts should be focused to enable growth for both professionals and companies:
1. Building Technology & Automation
• Building Management Systems (BMS): Technology plays a pivotal role in the lifecycle of FM, from design to build. FM professionals must learn how to operate and optimise the performance of various systems, including BMS for monitoring, supervision, and efficiency, as well as Building Information Modeling (BIM) for structural aspects.
• Internet of Things (IoT) & Smart Buildings: It is essential to understand sensor-based maintenance and data-driven decision-making.
• CMMS & CAFM Software: Mastery of tools such as Archibus, IBM Maximo, or other FM systems for asset management and Integrated Workplace (IWP) applications can significantly improve workplace requirements.
2. Sustainability & Compliance
• Energy Management: Learn about certifications like LEED, BREEAM, and ISO 50001.
• Waste Management & Green FM Practices: Explore innovative approaches to reducing costs and enhancing sustainability, focusing on the circular economy and recycling technologies.
• Compliance & Safety Regulations: Stay informed about the latest regulatory laws, including updates on OSHA, ISO 41001, and local fire, building, and sustainability codes.
3. Soft Skills & Leadership
Given the multidimensional role of Facilities Managers, the following soft skills are becoming essential to the competency framework for all FM professionals.
• Project Management: Knowledge of critical domains, such as PMP or PRINCE2 certifications, is necessary for managing large-scale FM projects.
• Communication and Negotiation: These skills are vital for effective interactions with vendors, stakeholders, and teams.
• Crisis Management and Business Continuity Planning (BCP): Learn how to handle emergencies effectively.
• Contract Management: Proficiency in contract management is essential for all leadership roles.
4. Financial & Asset Management
• Budgeting & Cost Control: Gain expertise in financial planning for facility operations.
• Lifecycle Asset Management: Understanding how to optimise long-term equipment and infrastructure costs is mission critical for all FMs.
• Procurement & Vendor Management: Develop skills in contract negotiation and managing supplier relationships.
5. Certifications & Formal FM Education
FM professionals must look to seek all learning and development avenues that includes FM domain certifications and courses such as:
• IFMA Certifications: The Certified Facility Manager (CFM) and Facility Management Professional (FMP) are fundamental qualifications for FMs to learn about the domain. Offered by the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), the CFM certification is recognised globally and demonstrates expertise across the FM body of knowledge, covering core competencies, including operations, maintenance, and leadership. The FMP qualification is also offered by IFMA and is designed for early to mid-career professionals focusing on foundational FM knowledge in operations, project management, and finance.
• BOMI International: Facilities Management Administrator (FMA), Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP), and Facilities Management Certificate (FMC) are offered by Building Owners and Managers Institute (BOMI) International.
• HVAC, Electrical, or Plumbing Certifications: These certifications are based on specific roles.
Even professional memberships in organisations such as IFMA, BOMA, CONFEX, and RICS are becoming increasingly relevant. These memberships and their networking events provide regular updates on FM, including new regulations, best practices, and opportunities for networking among FM professionals in their respective domains.
My strong contention is that FM companies must prioritise overall learning and development ecosystem with an eye on on-the-job upskilling. Traditional L&D approaches are becoming unviable as their costs and time commitments are not conducive to current industry dynamics. Blended learning strategies focusing on on-the-job training are emerging as the new alternatives. This shift is becoming increasingly relevant as traditional methods often incur significant expenses related to classrooms, instructors, and support infrastructure. Historically, there has been a concern about how to remove billable resources from the field and into classrooms. These costs are no longer sustainable for companies due to market pressures, and conventional classroom formats do not meet today’s upskilling needs.
As a result, companies and their L&D teams must develop in-house training and tailor course content, along with integrating third-party courses and certifications, to better suit their teams and empower their learning. A few years ago, we embarked on an innovative upskilling strategy at our workplace that utilised blended learning formats. In our approach, 80% of the learning experience was a combination of online and practical with 30% online and 50% on- the-job, leaving just 20% for traditional classroom learning.
Given the perilous global FM skill deficit issue and the spiralling effect burgeoned by their related costs, the aforesaid L&D strategy has delivered results for us, and I believe it should be the way forward as an industry practice. Not only is this model cost-efficient, but it is also an effective model in terms of reach. By implementing it, we significantly increased our upskilling footprint. Another important feature of this outreach was our ability to maximise the potential of the company’s existing learning and development resources by leveraging our captive infrastructure and championing a strong learning culture.
In addition to its overall learning impact, I would also like to elaborate on its cost benefits, an important factor for companies to reckon with when designing and implementing L&D.
1. Cost Efficiency: Upskilling current employees at work allows companies to enhance their skills without incurring the high costs associated with recruitment, onboarding, and external training programs. It’s often less expensive to improve existing talent than hiring new staff with specialised skills. This approach also helps promote a learning culture with the expansion of in-house subject matter expertise and building a learning community.
2. Retention and Motivation: Investing in employee growth boosts morale and engagement. Employees who see development opportunities are more likely to stay with the company, which reduces turnover costs. Retaining skilled employees is far more cost-effective than continually hiring and training new ones.
3. Faster Time to Competence: Upskilled employees are more likely to quickly adapt to new roles or technologies, accelerating their path to competence. This reduces the time and resources required to onboard external hires or train employees from scratch.
4. Flexibility and Adaptability: Upskilling helps companies create a more versatile workforce that can easily adapt to technological changes, market demands, or shifts in business strategies. This reduces the need for expensive, large-scale training programs every time there is a transition.
5. Maximising Existing Resources: Rather than reinventing the wheel, companies can leverage the existing expertise of their workforce and provide training that complements or builds upon their current knowledge. This allows for more tailored and targeted development efforts at a lower cost.
6. Improved Performance and Productivity: Upskilled employees are generally more competent, efficient, and confident, which can lead to increased productivity. Better productivity decreases the need for additional hires or external resources to fill gaps.
In summary, upskilling is a more sustainable and cost-effective approach to managing learning and development costs while ensuring that employees are equipped to meet the evolving demands of the business. FMs should understand that enhancing their expertise through certifications and professional networks can significantly improve their career prospects and contribute to the company’s capability and brand reputation.