A changing industry
The future of corporate real estate (CRE) and facilities management (FM) is largely based on the manner in which emerging technologies, once they become embedded in the corporate ecosystem, will change the profession. This includes changes in connectivity, automation, and security processes.
Organizations today appreciate the value that CRE-FM professionals bring to the business strategy table.
Employee satisfaction is the key to business performance, and CRE-FM professionals help companies raise productivity and maintain a competitive edge. For large organizations today, not having a strategic FM plan and allied professionals can be an expensive oversight. In order to make the most of the possibilities that these changing times bring, professionals in this field must ensure that they are ready and prepared for the future.
Stay prepared
This can be achieved by ensuring that your skills are in tune with what organizations and employers are demanding. This includes: having (or getting) the right educational background, including adequate and appropriate training in order to upgrade your skills, performing all work at globally-compliant standards, and always staying true to the highest ethical benchmarks in your work. Some of the kinds of tools that are valuable to CRE-FM professionals today include CRM, lease management software, market-place tools, marketing tools, property management software, and research and analytics tools. The International Property Measurement Standards, or IPMS, are important set of standards that, internationally, guide the work of professionals in this field.
Employers are always keen on candidates with leadership and management experience, which is critical in FM whether you’re managing contractors or an in-house team.
Employers often ask for candidates with excellent communication skills to deal with senior stakeholders – a facilities manager often needs to explain contractor requirements to those who need to approve/change strategies and who may not have much knowledge of FM. As an example, a facilities manager may need to identify and advise senior stakeholders to change equipment or services in their portfolio because of long-term savings but at a large expense in the short term.
Stay ahead
At the senior end of the FM scale, employers will seek individuals who can be trusted to make high-level decisions and changes to their portfolio strategies of their own accord. There is a need to demonstrate the value of FM and senior managers will need to have the business tools and skills to measure and communicate this to the C-suite. At the middle management level, employers will seek individuals who will be on the frontline identifying and consulting their superiors on potential changes to portfolio strategy.
These are some of the career actions that senior/ strategic FM professionals can take:
