Sixty-six percent of facility professionals identify staffing and retention as a top challenge for 2023, while 54% of FM managers and staff have left or have considered leaving their job in the past year. These results from the Facility Management (FM) Training Outlook Survey indicate the top challenges facing facility professionals today and how organizations can improve retention and overcome staffing pressures.
The top 3 ways for organizations to retain facility professionals are to provide:
- Better work-life balance.
- Opportunities for professional development.
- Increased compensation or benefits.
Since 2019, the Professional Facility Management Institute (ProFMI) and Building Operating Management (BOM) magazine have been conducting the Facility Management (FM) Training Outlook Survey to determine the need for facility management training and credentials from both the management and staff points of view. The latest survey was conducted in January through April of 2023 to identify top FM challenges and workforce trends, determine the current need for FM training and credentials, and gauge how sentiments may have shifted over time.
This study answered several key questions across the following four categories:
- Building and retaining the FM workforce
- The value of FM training
- Addressing the FM skills gap
- The importance of FM credentials and qualifications
Organizational growth Is driving staffing pressures
64% of FM employers have had difficulty finding individuals with the required technical skills.
36% of FM employers have had difficulty finding individuals with the required management skills.
Top 3 reasons for open positions:
- Growth requires more staff
- Lost staff to other employers
- Retirement of senior staff
According to the survey, with fewer roadblocks and restrictions on business in 2023, organizations around the world are focused on growth. Workplaces are being retrofitted for optimal functionality and productivity, retail spaces are growing, and building
technologies are advancing faster than ever. This rapid growth is adding strain to already short-staffed FM departments. Competition for FM talent has never been greater. Employee development programs can help improve staff retention and eliminate skills gaps.
Survey participants included readers of The McMorrow Reports and FMLink.
At this link, download the full FM Training Outlook Survey Report for 2023.