Bridging the facilities talent gap

The many operational day-to-day responsibilities involved in successfully running a large facility cost a great deal of time, money, and energy to the organization. A prime benefit of facility management services is that these responsibilities are taken care of by professionals experienced in this process. Hiring a professional for facility management and development ensures the smooth running of the organization. 

There is an ever-growing demand for trained facility management professionals in industries like manufacturing, retail, real estate, hospitality, education, airports, etc. But the talent pool available for these jobs has been shrinking over the past few years.  

One of the key gaps that is muscling its way up the priority list is the lack of facility management staff that can look after their facility. 

The majority of the existing, well-established personnel are looking for younger FM professionals to take up their existing jobs. Apart from the lack of manpower, organizations are also losing a wealth of skills – on-the-job experience and the need for knowledge transfer to the ones taking over. Without capturing that valuable information and knowledge treasure, organizations are left with staffing and operational gaps that affect their day-to-day processes now. This can be handled well when young professionals consider FM as a career.  Formal training and skill development will enable companies to onboard fresh and seasoned staff.

An attractive prospect in Facility Management – Salary

The salary range offered for this position in different sectors can be very attractive. 

Salary range for different stages in Facility Management career 

According to Payscale, an early career start in facility management can get you paid an average of 4.1L and can go up to 7L.

According to Payscale, the average facility manager (mid-career) salary in India is from 7.35L – 8L. 

According to Payscale, an experienced facility manager’s average salary in India is 12L and can go up to 18L in the later stages. 

What are the skills you would need to acquire to achieve a good salary range? 

Rather than allowing such institutional knowledge to be swallowed by those gaps, proactive educational institutions have come up with courses that can help the industry. Here are some of the top and most important skills that FM professionals need to possess to increase their chances of earning a high salary – 

1. Sustainability
2. Occupational health and safety (OHS)
3. Management
4. Finance
5. Project management

Also, skills in Facility Maintenance & Coordination, Facilities Management, Operations Management, Budget Management, and Contractor Management are correlated to pay that is above average. According to Payscale, here are the skills that can help you boost your FM career and the average pay.

The above picture represents the weighted percentage importance of each skill

Organizations that are transitioning to collaborating with educational institutions to navigate the priority shift successfully. 

Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences – an institution of higher education dedicated to the cause of business and management education has a devoted facility management course for upcoming professionals, freshers, and undergraduate students. With a diploma in facility management, your career surge will be noticeable. In other words, a diploma related to facilities management represents an excellent investment for your career.