How COVID-19 Enhanced the Role of Facility Managers
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way Indian organisations function, and with most departments transforming, facility management does not lag in meeting the demands of the new normal
More interdepartmental collaboration
With a hybrid working model (work from home + work from office), newly implemented technologies, and flexibility, it is crucial now more than ever for facility managers to remain adaptable and resilient in their work.
The ideal way to do so is by implementing these changes within the departmental alignment of the organisation and ensuring better connectivity and collaboration with other departments. Thus, the facility managers now work with HR, IT, accounting, finance, and management to keep the workplace healthy and safe for the employees.
More focus on driving a healthy building
Now, the facility manager's scope of work has widened to encompass overall health and safety. This involves maintaining health and safety in a building. A few areas where facility managers implement this include the following:
- More sustainability-driven operations
- Focus on better work-life health
- Cost savings and efficiency enhancement features
- Improved indoor air and environmental quality
- Adherence to the new government and industry standards and regulations
More caution in the washrooms and restrooms within the facility. These spaces are the most used ones and often have a tendency to be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria that can affect the employees. Thus, special programs must be implemented to clean and disinfect all the surfaces of the washrooms at frequent intervals
Owning the workplace experience
Current specific trends in the IFM industry suggest a shift of facility managers towards creating a better employee experience. Thus, facility managers now tend to find an optimal approach for employees to do their work, going beyond just health standards and regulations and including comfort in their operations.
Thus, the workplace experience is positioned to become more holistic for the employees, thereby improving the organisation's productivity, engagement, and retention.
Deployment of workplace strategies
Facility managers are no longer mere building maintenance experts-they are an essential part of workplace strategies, playing a pivotal role in optimising efficiency at the facility. Therefore, they are expected to strategise and deploy their workplace strategies to make the facility safer and more comfortable for the employees.
Bottom line
While the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the world, the facility managers are doing well to adapt to such changes. Experts recommend the following steps to ensure this adaptability stays intact:
- Considering employee input and experiences
- Conducting thorough space analysis
- technology as a tool for growth
- Optimising space management at the workplace
- Communicating often and clearly with other workplace departments
With these five tips in mind, facility managers can handle the organisation's workplace more efficiently and quickly.
