Decades ago, facilities management (FM) simply

entailed making sure equipment was operating well,

buildings were maintained, and campuses were

attractive. Fast forward to 2017, and FM still includes

those aspects but has also evolved into an innovative

and complex environment of technological and

operational advancements.

While facilities teams back in the 1900s (yes, that’s

right) worked mostly in boiler rooms and other “out

of sight” areas, they now have much more exposure.

Mid- to senior-level facilities executives work in

partnership with the leadership of their organizations

to strategically allocate resources (staff and financial),

analyze strategies, and implement initiatives related

to sustainability, capital programs, energy

management, and other concepts. Organizations

have lofty objectives, and they demand much more

from their facilities teams, making recruitment much

different than before.

Jim Lord, Managing Director with Helbling &

Associates, has been a search consultant in the

facilities sector since 2000. He says, “Facilities

management has changed drastically in the last ten

to fifteen years. Numerous new technologies have

been developed, the talent pool has tightened due

to the ongoing retirement of baby boomers, and

organizations are aggressively seeking fresh,

innovative talent that can leverage the many

advancements transforming the sector. All of these

factors are combining, creating a strong need for

upper-tier professionals, which in turn, is demanding

that recruitment be aggressive and proactive to

secure the right individuals.”

Skill sets in demand

“The necessary skill sets to be successful in mid- to

senior-level facilities roles is where facilities

recruitment has changed the most," emphasizes

Lord. "Institutions, corporations, and other types of

owner organizations want facilities professionals who

have strong business acumen and financial aptitudes,

and who understand how to analyze life cycle

operating costs and returns on investments. They

want individuals who have the abilities to develop

and manage budgets, and who consider facilities

from a business standpoint. While these capabilities

are preferred, not far behind are intangible, soft skills

that are especially attractive and consistently

mentioned by our clients. Those traits include well-

developed leadership capabilities, and the ability to

communicate effectively and build relationships with

communities, board members, end-users, and teams.

Individuals with all of these attributes can be

challenging to find.”

Wes Miller, also a Managing Director with Helbling,

adds, “The robust recruitment within the facilities

sector stems from many factors spanning the need

for effective utilities management to the

implementation of sustainability. Additionally, many

healthcare and higher education institutions as well

as entities in the for-profit sector are embarking on

AsFacilitiesRolesHaveChanged,SoHasRecruitmentSami L. Barry

major capital construction programs that entail

considerable investment. They want their projects to

be cutting-edge and progressive. Therefore, they

need professionals who understand how to oversee

and manage projects of significant size and scope

and who have strong knowledge of the latest

technologies and advancements that can save

money and make a project successful over the long

term. Owners are savvy, they know the modern

building methods that are out there, and they want

to capitalize on them.”

As executive search consultants who specialize in

securing facilities executives for diverse

organizations, we frequently see the following

technical and soft skills as requirements or preferred

attributes for mid- to senior-level facilities roles.

Therefore, if they are relevant, we recommend

including these qualifications in position descriptions

and consider them during the entire recruitment

process beginning with employment ads through

final assessment of candidates.

Technical skills and experiences:

• Understanding of and expertise with strategy development and execution leadership.

• Solid business acumen and strong financial aptitude with demonstrated successful management of budgets and ability to work within an organization's financial constraints.

• Knowledge of latest technologies that impact facilities and construction, ability to analyze the effectiveness and ROI of such concepts, and lead their implementation.

• Solid understanding of energy management, systems reliability, life cycle operating costs, deferred and preventative maintenance, and sustainability.

• Comprehension of and experience with computer maintenance management systems.

• Ability to adapt strategies and approaches to changing trends and conditions.

Soft skills and experiences:

• Innovative, change-agent mindset.

• Inclusive and empowering leadership style.

• Continuous improvement mentality.

• Ability to create or maintain a culture of adaptability and accountability.

• Adeptness at building and leading high-performance teams.

• Ability to hire, train, motivate, and empower staff.

• Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with senior administration, boards, analysts, shareholder groups, government entities, end-users, and local communities.

• Proven communication skills (verbal, written, and presentation), within a department and a community of end-users. Organizations seek professionals who are as comfortable in the board room as the boiler room.

Value of Non-Traditional Candidates

As FM continues to advance and the talent pool

shrinks, organizations will increasingly realize the

advantages of expanding recruitment parameters to

include non-traditional candidates. In doing so, they

will improve their recruitment practices, ensuring that

all potentially qualified candidates are identified and

considered.

Job candidates can be considered “non-traditional”

for a variety of reasons. Typically, they are

professionals who are involved in a different industry

than that of the hiring organization and who offer

different experiences, corporate culture mentalities,

management styles, skill sets, and personality

characteristics that may not have been initially

considered. Institutions and other owner entities are

finding that these types of professionals can offer

fresh perspectives and make valuable contributions

AsFacilitiesRolesHaveChanged,SoHasRecruitment

in helping their organizations move forward with

their challenges and initiatives.

Miller explains, “Many of our

institutional and other types

of owner clients are looking

to transform how they are

operating from a facilities

perspective. They want to be

competitive so it is important

to realize the other industries

that may have the talent they

seek. Typically, clients are

aware of the limited talent

pool, especially within their

industry peers and similar organizations. They have

also come to the realization that those entities don’t

always have professionals with the capabilities they

want. Therefore, they are open to considering

candidates who are outside of their respective

sectors and who have the appropriate experience

and fresh perspectives to add value to a role and a

dimension to their team.”

As an example, some institutions are attracted to

facilities candidates from the corporate sector

because they find these professionals have

applicable knowledge and experiences as well as the

mentality they seek for their more high-level facilities

roles. Most large, private, for-profit organizations are

advanced in a variety of areas simply because they

have more financial resources, and they have sharp

focus on efficiency and streamlined operations.

Candidates from this sector can offer institutions

progressive management styles and “tried and true”

perspectives of technologies, systems, and

processes.

“When we are speaking with a client after

successfully completing a search in which a non-

traditional candidate was secured, they frequently

express how pleased they are with their decision and

remark that the secured candidate was able to make

significant changes and impact operations in a

relatively short time frame,” says Lord. “I also hear

similar experiences from

candidates. The

professionals we place are

high-performers who enjoy

challenges. When I recruit

someone from the corporate

or for-profit sector and place

them with an institution or

non-profit organization, they

quickly see the opportunities

that await them. They are

motivated and excited about

the changes and positive impact they can make just

based upon their knowledge and prior experiences.”

Attracting upper-tier professionals

Highly qualified professionals are typically passive

and not exploring new career opportunities. If they

are, they may be entertaining a few of them.

Therefore, it is necessary to have well-defined hiring

practices that are efficient and effective, and that

make a positive impression on potential candidates.

Lord says, “All candidates have their own individual

career aspirations, motivating factors, and personal

situations so you have to truly get to know them to

discover what hot buttons are prompting them to

make a career move. Having said that, most

professionals do share common reasons why they are

open to exploring new opportunities and how they

assess them. It is beneficial to monitor these

commonalities as a basis for recruitment and then

customize strategies from there to secure the right

professional.”

Someinstitutionsareattractedto

facilitiescandidatesfromthecorporate

sectorbecausethey5indthese

professionalshaveapplicableknowledge

andexperience,aswellasthementality

theyseekfortheirmorehigh-level

facilitiesroles.

AsFacilitiesRolesHaveChanged,SoHasRecruitment

Helbling & Associates is a retained executive search firm specializing exclusively in facilities management, construction, engineering, and real estate development.

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The following are common factors that candidates

consider when presented with new career opportunities.

Addressing each of these aspects during recruitment and

differentiating your organization is important for

attracting and securing preferred candidates.

Your organization: • Overall vision

• Organizational values

• Financial status and outlook

• Differentiators

• Leadership

• Reputation

• Current and planned strategies/objectives that relate to the role

Prospective role: • Autonomy

• Challenges

• Team and structure

• Objectives with specific performance metrics outlined

• Impact on organization and how initiatives will be supported

• Advancement opportunities

Cultural Fit: • Mission

• Values

• Organizational structure

• Environment

• Work/life balance

Compensation: • Salary

• Performance-based incentives

• Benefits

FM has undergone tremendous changes over the past

two decades, and recruitment strategies must follow suit

to secure the most qualified mid- and senior-level

executives. While it demands time and effort to recruit

them, upper-tier facilities executives can be one of your

organization’s greatest assets as it adapts itself to

succeed in the continuously changing and advancing

business environment.

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AsFacilitiesRolesHaveChanged,SoHasRecruitment