FM Evolution Live: Human Capital Trends in 2021 w/ Stormy Friday & Randy Olson

Quotes

“What I find is, if you rely on our team and you ask your team for help, and you ask your team for input, they’ll step up. They’ll step up to the challenge time after time after time, and that really energizes the team.” (17:19)

“I think [the corporate work culture] is essential. I think that is the heart and soul of what we do, and we have to make sure that we have a culture to go back to no matter what our hybrid work environment is going to be.” (29:17)

Human Capital Trends in 2021

As we look forward and begin the new year, it is helpful to look back and assess what happened in 2020. The effects that the challenging year had on people cannot be ignored as we plan for success in 2021. Stormy Friday recently penned an article about human capital priorities and how we can set up our teams for a prosperous 2021.

Keeping Employees Energized

It is no secret that 2020 has exhausted nearly everyone who experienced it. From attempting to stay safe and healthy throughout a worldwide pandemic to a highly charged political landscape, 2020 was a challenging year to navigate. People had limited opportunities to recharge with coworkers and friends, and it seemed that there was a new challenge waiting around every corner.

Without obvious places to take a break, rest, and recharge, such as the proverbial watercooler, teams struggled to stay energized, and productivity suffered. With 2021 seemingly headed in a similar direction as the year prior, it becomes necessary to find new, effective methods of keeping our teams energized and prepared for sustained progress.

One way to energize employees is through professional development, training, and education. An easy way to decrease energy and efficiency is through stagnation. Without seeing personal progress, employees can easily slip into monotony and lose motivation. By continually offering opportunities for development and learning new skills, you provide your team a passage to energize themselves.

“What I find is, if you rely on our team and you ask your team for help, and you ask your team for input, they’ll step up. They’ll step up to the challenge time after time after time, and that really energizes the team.” (17:19)

Addressing the Skill Gap

Many FM companies have struggled with the skill gap present in the FM industry. As the world has transitioned to operating primarily remotely due to the pandemic, it has become more challenging to examine and assess workers to place them in positions where they can succeed. It has become increasingly important to address the knowledge, skills, and abilities that workers will need and have a plan to equip your team with these skills.

ProFM has a tool that can help you with the self-assessment of your team. Map your gap guides you through each of the 24 areas that a facility manager needs to know, and it allows you to self-assess your knowledge and weaknesses. The program creates a report of the knowledge and skill gaps you have, allowing you to know what needs improvement. Tools like this are indispensable in the effort to reach sustainable success through 2021.

FM Knowledge Bank

We see FM companies needing to address the FM knowledge bank not being passed on as employees leave the business. This institutional knowledge is not recorded for future generations, and in time, it is lost if it is not passed on. As 2020 was a tumultuous year that led to increased employee turnover, a significant amount of institutional knowledge was lost. To decrease the amount of onboarding knowledge and lower the learning curve for newer employees, it is imperative to keep records of handling different situations, procedures, and services. This will only aid in the effort to become more streamlined and efficient.

For more information on addressing your skill gap and retaining institutional knowledge, click here.

The FM Evolution podcast is sponsored by CGP Maintenance and Construction Services.

This episode was sponsored by ProFM.