levels, but also the expectations of employers. And yet despite the trends, there are skill shortages that need addressing. Don Searle, projects & contracts manager at recruitment consultancy Catch 22, explains that “the industry has an imbalance in the older age group, between 50-65, where ‘lifers’ are at the top of their profession and likely to stay until retirement.” Searle expects that replacing these individuals is key if there is not to be a shortfall at the top of the profession within the next 10 years. FM providers, he suggests, need to “put some senior succession planning into place”. “The organisations that stimulate the market – in our case large FM providers – need to establish a conveyor belt of talent at every level of their organisations to ensure continuity,” says Searle. But overall, there are now a lot of younger and more
ambitious people in the industry. Some recruitment specialists such as Gary Binder, section manager at recruitment company PRS, suggest that the value of experience – for so long the principal component in successfully obtaining an FM role – has now been equalled by the value of education – the ultimate determinant being the person controlling the recruitment process. “FM is now a career with its own pathway. Companies are increasingly keen to capture talented individuals and give them broad career experience before allowing them to focus on a business stream that suits their skill set best.” And recruiters are also seeing that FM is increasingly becoming a profession for those who best demonstrate a ‘customer-centric‘ mentality. FMs are increasingly required to demonstrate top-class customer service skills. A focus on sustainability issues will also set FMs apart. As the
SALARY BUMPS OF
3-4%
As our annual salary survey suggests, shifting demographics are set to make 2016 a year of opportunity for facilities managers considering their next career moves
I
n 2015 it is arguable that there now exists more hope and opportunity for facilities managers to significantly develop their careers than ever has been the case before. And together with the increasing breadth of job opportunities is coming a change in the typical FM profile; the typical age, level of education and breadth of experience of
the distinctive FM is shifting, with long-established stereotypes coming under considerable strain. Our salary survey in May 2015 confirmed trends that we have seen in recent years – the number of older FM practitioners steadily reducing, the number of younger practitioners steadily rising. More FMs are coming into the profession from university, raising not just existing quality
WERE OBTAINED BY 19 PER CENT OF RESPONDENTS, MATCHING OUR 2014 RESULTS
GUIDE TO CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN FM 2016 | 05
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