Facility management is a people business. FM staff are often the first people that occupants go to with questions or issues about the facility. Their success depends on how well they interact with colleagues, anticipate others’ needs and take proactive measures to ensure the comfort and safety of tenants and visitors.

The characteristics of a strong FM manager are similar to a strong HR manager. Every FM leader should think of themselves as being an HR professional at their core. Two major ways to put this HR mindset into action are prioritizing the well-being of others and consciously modeling behavior that positively impacts company culture.

Prioritizing the experience of employees

FM organizations ingrain in their employees that excellence in customer service is paramount. Every experience building occupants have should be positive, at minimum, and extraordinary whenever possible.

It has been said that customers will never love a company unless its employees love it first. One study showed that in companies with above-average customer experience, 79 percent of employees report being engaged. Employees are much more likely to provide superior customer service when they are happy at work.

Picture, for instance, dining at a restaurant whose wait staff and hosts appear unhappy, constantly gossiping among themselves or scowling more than smiling. These people are more likely to be abrupt and inattentive with guests, who then get a bad impression and are unlikely to return. This is indicative of how a difficult work environment bleeds into poor customer service and negatively impacts the bottom line.

FM leaders can have a direct impact on occupant and visitor experience by prioritizing the well-being of staff and creating a positive work environment. This requires putting the same level of energy into their relationships with FM team members as they do into their client relationships.

 

Show Respect. Everyone wants to be treated as though they and their opinions matter and have value. In a SHRM survey, respondents said that respectful treatment of all employees at all levels is the most important factor contributing to their job satisfaction. Nearly half ranked their immediate supervisor’s respect for their ideas as very important to their happiness on the job.

When leaders treat employees with respect and attend to their concerns with the same level of urgency that they provide to customers and executives, it not only reflects in a positive way, but it also models how employees should treat others.

People with senior-level positions or more industry experience must be careful not to discredit junior-level employees and colleagues. Sometimes this happens subconsciously. However, it can be clearly seen in behaviors such as not being responsive to others’ communications and needs, using negative body language when speaking with them, giving short and curt replies, not including them in group discussions in which they are key players, and taking credit for their work.

Not only does this make workers feel bad, but it also impacts the organization’s success. In one survey, 38 percent of people who felt disrespected intentionally decreased their work quality and another 25 percent admitted to taking their frustrations out on customers.

Prioritize Recognition. Everyone wants to know that their contributions are appreciated. They want to be recognized for the value they deliver. Acknowledging and rewarding hard, smart work increases motivation and demonstrates what the company values. It also leads to better, higher quality facility services.

 Employees who believe they will be recognized are 2.7 times more likely to be highly engaged. They are also more likely to stick around, which is especially critical in this industry where turnover can be high. Organizations that have formal recognition programs experience 31 percent less voluntary turnover than those that do not. They are also 12 times more likely to have strong business outcomes.

 Empower Employees. Empowerment is a form of trust and critical to job satisfaction. That may be why 70 percent of employees say being empowered to take action when a problem or opportunity arises is an important part of their ability to feel engaged.

But too often, supervisors feel the need to micromanage team members to ensure quality work. They may contact them repeatedly during a shift to make sure they completed tasks or question their decisions or actions in ways that convey distrust. This kind of behavior may be warranted when people are not performing, but if it is the manager’s default way of interacting, employees will feel resentful and devalued.

To combat this instinct, make sure all employees have job descriptions that clearly spell out their responsibilities and the intended results of their work. Specify what level of effort is typically needed to achieve those results and solicit their thoughts on steps they might take to overcome obstacles.

Then take a step back to see how they perform when empowered. Praise their decisions and actions – and remember that mistakes do happen, and when they do, cultivate a mindset of embracing them as learning opportunities. A culture of continuous learning is a key ingredient to individual, team and organizational success. That is why providing ongoing professional development programs are a best practice for improving FM staff performance and service quality. Consider offering both in-person and virtual training and learning opportunities.

Check In. Regular one-on-one meetings are critical. They enable managers and individual team members to get to know each other and connect on a more personal and meaningful level.

These one-on-ones allow for discussions and feedback loops on everything from career plans to ways to overcome challenges so employees can grow to where they aspire, to how to exceed customer expectations and overcome roadblocks to service excellence.

To cultivate a healthy workspace, managers must focus on providing a comfortable environment for employees to express their feelings. Listening more than speaking, and having honest and open discussions, go a long way toward helping employees feel they are being heard.

Many organizations also use surveys to understand the current state of employee morale and job satisfaction. Surveys are helpful, but not enough. Leadership must emphasize face-to-face meetings to get the true picture. It should never be a surprise when an employee is unhappy or leaves the company.

Pitch In. Managers should be willing and able to do anything and everything that an employee does. Nothing should be beneath managers and leadership, whether it is picking up trash, mopping up spills or checking on equipment status. When teams are short-staffed, and even when they are not, it is important to roll up the sleeves and work alongside employees.

Not only does this help remind managers what employees go through daily, but it also helps them better understand their challenges and makes them more empathetic to employees’ needs. Importantly, pitching in also fosters a sense of camaraderie and creates a workplace where everyone is on the same team, working toward the same goals.

Collaborate With HR. Remember to leverage the company’s corporate HR team. Their expertise can pay dividends in improving both one-on-one and team relationships and results. They can be an excellent sounding board for managers, provide guidance on how to tackle challenges in managing employees and offer creative ways to enhance employee well-being.

Impacting company culture

FM can be a strategic partner to HR in building a strong company culture. Managers should play a key role in reinforcing company values, particularly when it comes to employee well-being, workplace safety and sustainability.

Lead by Example. FM leaders must model the behaviors they want to instill. If people see them walking by trash instead of picking it up, not being responsive to employees or customers, speaking dismissively about others, or always delegating but never pitching in, all the talk about respecting others and focusing on service excellence will be perceived as hypocritical. It will fall on deaf ears.

The old proverb, “Do as I say, not as I do,” will be the motto employees learn – and they will not be inspired to follow the talk.

Safety First. Safety is paramount in facility management, both for employees and building occupants. But it is often overlooked in favor of speed and customer service. For instance, it is not unusual for operations and maintenance engineers to be approached by customers while working on tasks. Because they have been taught to have a customer service mindset, their instinct may be to address the customer’s concerns right away. In the interest of time, they may carry on a conversation while on a ladder or turning a wrench under a sink. That is a sure way to invite injuries.

Safety cannot be sacrificed for customer service. The best practice to instill this in the culture is to train employees on mentally separating their facility service work from the work of providing a service. Make sure they understand that their safety always comes first. That they will not be penalized for taking a few extra minutes to descend the ladder before talking to the customer or, if appropriate, asking the customer to wait until they are done with the task. Do call employees out, however, if, for instance, they are running up or down stairs, or carrying too heavy of a load instead of using a proper dolly.

Take advantage of signage as well. Signs are one of the simplest and best tools for mitigating risks and reminding staff and building occupants about hazards and safety habits.

Remember to put up signs such as “Caution Wet Floor” when spaces have recently been mopped, or “Drive Slow” in parking lots. Use “People Working” signs when performing tasks because tenants may not notice when an engineer or janitor is in their path. Keep signs in easily accessible locations and remind employees to use them.

Sustainability Matters. More and more people are focused on sustainability to protect the environment and themselves. In corporations, rather than a side initiative, sustainability is now an essential part of environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. Today, over 90 percent of companies on the S&P 500 stock market index report on their sustainability efforts and are increasingly requiring their suppliers to report their environmental impacts as well.

FM organizations can contribute to a culture of sustainability by acquiring and training janitorial staff on the proper use of green cleaning products; staying informed on the latest green innovations in equipment and processes; and using signage to remind employees, tenants and guests to turn off lights when not in use, keep doors shut when air conditioning is on, bring reusable containers for lunch, and recycle paper goods, bottles and cans.

To fuel success, FM leaders must focus on internal customer service. The way they treat, train and work alongside employees, and promote a safe, healthy work environment will pay dividends for everyone, including customers.