When I first became involved in facilities management a decade ago, FM practitioners were in the main a disparate bunch who had for one reason or another found themselves, without intending to, working in facilities management. Those who practised at the higher corporate end of the profession in general had both a practical and theoretical grasp of health and safety. Typically a competence in one particular field such as maintenance, and a general people management ethos that enabled them to be well regarded generalists as they moved up the management ladder. Such individuals were hard to recruit as so little genuine management level talent ever chose to work in the FM sector. Indeed, at the mid-range level the industry had a lot of representatives that neither saw themselves as facilities managers nor saw any clear way that this could provide a long term professional career.
How things have changed! We are currently recruiting on behalf of a client at a prestigious location in the City and I have been genuinely surprised just how quickly the industry is transforming itself. At last gone are the days that people almost made an apology for the sector they had fallen into! The vast majority of applicants today have made an active choice of working in FM. They have sought over time to broaden their practical knowledge with industry qualifications that provide a breadth and depth of knowledge that employers see as critical in the running of their department. No longer is it a matter of recruiting on a leap of faith a good manager who knows little about FM. Today’s candidates are academically able, driven to develop their skills and experience within a professional framework and, most importantly, show a passion for the industry that will ensure that FM will never again be seen as the Cinderella profession.
Finally, a call to action. There is a vast talent pool of experienced FM managers in our industry who are being left behind by this new breed of professional FM manager. One of the greatest attractions of our industry is that it will always be meritocratic and one need not have a university degree to get to the highest levels in the profession. This however should never be a cause for complacency, for those individuals not committed to further their career development are being increasingly left behind. At Rollright we have had as much success in bringing forward our more practically orientated managers into a professional development framework as we have our younger graduates. So be warned, the gulf is widening and it is time to sign up to learn more!
Charlie Sinton
Director, Rollright Facilities Ltd
