The future of facilities management is changing. We all know it, and many of us already feel it. At many institutions, a weighty percentage of employees are already retirement eligible. The writing is on the wall, but what are we doing about it? How do we recruit the next-generation workforce to keep campuses running efficiently and provide inspiration for the movers and shakers of tomorrow? These are questions we discuss on a daily basis. Here’s what we know:
1. Invite innovation.
While Millennials are more tech-savvy than generations before them, Gen Z is surpassing previous expectations and adapting to emerging technology at record speed. With fresh eyes, Gen Z recruits can identify areas of facilities management that could be improved through building automation, artificial intelligence, and other advancements. Allowing this new workforce the opportunity to improve upon current processes will create buy-in that is desperately needed at a time when burnout is increasingly common.
2. Sustainability matters.
Turning toward more sustainable facilities management is a practice that will attract the next generation as they seek to affect change in meaningful ways. The next generation workforce doesn’t see sustainability as a mere buzzword but as a necessary component of every campus and workplace. To recruit the next generation into facilities management, we must be willing to create space to conduct conversations and work toward change that matters to them on a personal level.
3. Incentives are important.
While our campus offers a generous benefits package, we often hear that despite those benefits, the rate of pay primarily affects decision-making on whether or not to apply for and accept the position. Many of us in facilities management can’t directly influence the starting pay for the next generation, but we can work on incentive programs that help them see the bigger picture.
Within our team, we offer a pay incentive for employees who earn relevant certifications and degrees. We also offer training for credentials these employees are interested in earning (which can boost their leverage for a pay increase or position change). We’ve found that it’s possible to train the next generation to be good technicians without expecting these new employees to be experts on and in our facilities on day one.
4. Acknowledge the importance of balance.
Because facilities management is an around-the-clock function of most institutions, it can become difficult to remember that our work isn’t what defines us. In today’s ever-connected world, many of us are guilty of blurring the lines between work and home. The next generation is already looking to change this approach to work.
As we recruit the next generation, ask what you can do to partner with your institution to prioritize mental health and balance. For instance, some universities offer employee wellness programs with gardening and/or cooking classes, mental health workshops, exercise and nutrition education, etc. The next generation craves this approach and wants to work where they can enjoy the entire human experience, as life is so much more than our work.
5. Keep it real.
If you want to recruit and retain the next generation, look closer at how you communicate. Does your department communicate in a mutually respectful way? Are there opportunities for staff to share what needs improvement while forming collaborative and creative solutions? Are your leaders open to small changes that could have big impacts? The next generation values authenticity from day one.
To keep it real, you must be willing to have an honest and open conversation that flows in both directions. Feedback to the employee is important, but it’s just as important to listen to the ideas of those who have fresh eyes on your facilities as it is to hear from those who know the buildings like the back of their hands. Different perspectives and an open dialogue are critical in building the future of facilities management.
Conclusion
We can’t fix the current shortage of facilities management employees overnight, but we can find ways to do so over time. As we think ahead to the campuses of the future, we must also consider what we want our facilities management teams to look like.
Through strategic planning and an open mind, we can recruit the next generation to serve our campuses well while better meeting the needs of our current and future teams.
Sam Ledford is communications manager at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She can be reached at [email protected]. This is her first article for Facilities Manager.
