Don\u2019t let the name fool you: facilities managers play a major role in employee engagement. Learn more about the critical function they have.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div> Employee engagement is often thought to be the exclusive domain of the HR department. In a sense, this is a reasonable assumption since they play a big role in the<\/span> recruiting and retention processes<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n However, there is another team leader who has as much of an impact (if not more) on employee engagement: the <\/span>facilities manager<\/span><\/i>. Sometimes business leaders get stuck on the \u201cfacilities\u201d part of the title and fail to recognize how many more aspects of the workplace facilities managers can influence.<\/span> Imagine being served the most extravagant, delicious meal you\u2019ve ever tasted. Now imagine that meal was served to you in a garage. You\u2019re not going to enjoy it nearly as much as you would if it was served in a luxurious setting.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s the same with the work environment. It\u2019s difficult for an employee to love his or her job if the workplace is stifling and uninspiring. A<\/span> recent Capital One survey<\/span><\/a> about workplace design found that 82% of office professionals believe innovation starts with the workplace, yet 52% described their workplace as \u201cuninspiring.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Facilities managers have the power to create the 5-star equivalent of a workplace. And with this great power comes great responsibility. Today\u2019s employees expect a flexible work environment that can support their unique workstyles. According to the study, they also care about:<\/span><\/p>\n Facilities managers must build a workplace that is not only attractive, but one that is designed to allow employees to concentrate <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> collaborate.<\/span> However the facilities manager decides to design the workplace, he or she must do so with the goal of increasing employee engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n No company expects its workforce to function properly without technology. But outdated and\/or poor-performing technology can be even more detrimental to employee morale than no technology at all.<\/span><\/p>\n Waiting for an old software to load or being forced to use one platform for all workspace needs doesn\u2019t just affect productivity; it frustrates employees. And consistently frustrated employees are rarely engaged employees.<\/span><\/p>\n Facilities managers are usually the Facilities managers are usually the advocate and sponsor for technology that allows the worker to more effectively engage the workspace. \u00a0As a result, FMs are actively involved with IT in choosing and implementing<\/span>\u00a0workplace technology<\/a>.<\/p>\n If the facilities manager doesn\u2019t maintain a strong relationship with the IT department, he or she may encounter resistance to fulfilling requests based on employee feedback. This resistance leads to delays in resolving issues, and these delays mean employees must continue using technology that doesn\u2019t meet their needs.<\/span><\/p>\n Similar to their role as the connector of the IT team, the workplace and the workforce, the facilities manager is also the emissary between the executive team and employees and their workplace needs.<\/span><\/p>\n The facilities manager is \u201cin the trenches,\u201d so to speak. This means they have the best insight into how to design an innovative workplace that encourages the workforce. Just as the facilities manager must establish and foster a rapport with the IT department, so, too, must they have the ability to effectively<\/span> communicate with the decision-makers<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n The facilities managers could have the perfect strategy for a guaranteed more productive work environment and more engaged employees. But he or she must know how not only to capture (and hold) the attention of the executive team but also convince the decision-makers they need to invest in his or her strategy. This means having cold, hard facts and figures to back up his or her claims and speaking in the way of a leader.<\/span><\/p>\n Ultimately, the decisions that will have the biggest impact on employee engagement will be made by the board of directors. So if the facilities manager can\u2019t get the executive team on board, then his or her plan is dead in the water.<\/span><\/p>\n While facilities managers certainly have a big hand in increasing employee engagement, they need to keep one thing in mind: they can\u2019t do it alone. Facilities managers must foster both<\/span> interdepartmental collaboration<\/span><\/a> as well as communication between their own team members. Building a workforce of happy, satisfied and engaged employees must be a group effort.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n
Here are three reasons facilities managers are an essential part of the employee engagement equation.<\/span><\/p>\nThey Own Workplace Design<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
One way to achieve this balance is by implementing<\/span> activity-based working<\/span><\/a>, where employees choose from a variety of different workspaces, each dedicated to a specific task. Facilities managers can also create<\/span> office hoteling or hot-desking<\/span><\/a> environments, which give both on-site and remote employees more freedom in choosing their workstation.<\/span><\/p>\nThey Are the Brokers of Workplace Technology<\/b><\/h3>\n
A Liaison Between Leaders and Staff<\/b><\/h3>\n