A study states that when employees are happy, they are 20% more productive. And professionals are happy when they are provided with the tools and support they need to perform at the levels they expect of themselves. Of course, there are a number of strategies the HR and People Management teams have to work on in this regard. But what of the working conditions?

With the evolution of the workforce, the requirement for facility management is more significant than ever.

Two decades ago, the term facility management would have called upon images of changing light bulbs or cleaning the floor. But today, facility management means much more. And the definition expands every day, thanks to the advancements in the workplace.

Today facility management is about managing the employee experience as much as the workplace space. FMs focus on nurturing an atmosphere that improves employee productivity and collaborations, generates measurable ROI, and enhances recruitment and retention.

By establishing attractive, efficient, innovative, and functional workplaces, organizations can make their employees’ work life  more straight forward and boost their motivation. To attain these goals, organizations need to offer environments that can better support workforce mobility, enhance employee experience, and make it seamless for employees to achieve their tasks.

As organizations increasingly embrace the latest workplace designs, modern facility management looks beyond conventional tools to facilitate new working methods in new hybrid work environments including offices and Work from Home. Today, facility management plays a significant role in driving employee engagement, employee well-being, and performance.

Three critical factors that make facilities management a significant part of the employee engagement equation are:

·        They Control the Workplace Design

It gets tough for an employee to love his/her job if the workplace is suffocating and uninspiring. Today’s employees demand a flexible working environment that can facilitate their unique work styles. The FMS has the power to form the 5-star equivalent of a workplace. Facilities management is responsible for creating a workplace that is charming but at the same time built specifically to enable employees to concentrate and collaborate.

·        They are the Advocates of Workplace Technologies

No organization expects its workforce to function efficiently without proper technology in place. However, outdated technology can prove to be even more harmful to employee morale than no technology at all. Having to wait for old software to load or being compelled to use multiple platforms to manage workplace requirements doesn’t just affect productivity; it frustrates employees. And constantly frustrated employees are seldom engaged employees.

Facilities management usually functions as an advocate and sponsor for technology that enables the workforce to engage in the workspace more effectively.  Today, FMs are also actively involved with IT in picking and implementing workplace technology. If the facilities management fails to maintain a strong relationship with the IT department, it may face resistance in meeting requests based on employee feedback. This resistance further leads to delays in resolving issues, and these delays mean that employees must continue utilizing technology that doesn’t meet their requirements.

·        A Bridge Between the top management and the Employees

Just like they are the liaison between the IT team, the workplace, and the workforce, the facilities management also acts as the representative between the executive team and employees and their workplace requirements. The facilities management is responsible for effectively communicating these needs with the decision-makers.

Customer expectations of businesses have evolved—and employees now expect the same standards at their workplace. Every organization has internal customers too. They are the employees.  When an organization prioritizes employee experience, its employees are happier and better armed to offer external customer service that the customers expect. Satisfied employees are also more loyal and help enhance the organization’s bottom line.

With smart facility management tools, organizations can create exceptional employee experiences that are easy, reliable, and productive. Because when organizations work hard for their employees, their employees work harder for them in return.

But how do we achieve that?

Empowering Employees with Productivity-Focused Solutions

Today, consumer technology is proliferating by leaps and bounds. As people become ever more habituated with advanced tech while commuting and in their homes, they expect the same simplicity, connectivity, and personalization at workplaces. Facility management must meet these expectations in employee engagement through technology.

Workplace technology platforms can empower employees with apps and tools to communicate digitally with their workplace. Smart solutions can further enable employees to do various tasks such as locating colleagues, finding resources, submitting facility requests, booking meeting rooms, booking shared resources, or moving desks. Problems ranging from health and safety to employee security and facility requirements and complaints can all be managed on a single screen.

Additionally, facility management solutions allow the employee to perform these tasks on any device—mobile, desktop, tablet—facilitating simpler internal collaboration and making it easy for the employee to stay connected to the workplace.

And because these robust platforms can integrate with other significant workplace applications, they also help FM teams collaborate effectively with HR, IT, and other workplace leaders and, together, create a better overall workplace experience.

Discovering New Frontiers in Operational Efficiency with Smart System Integration

Why is facility management regarded as the enabler of productivity in today’s workplaces? It’s all about data, reporting, analysis, and driving informed actions. With the right systems implemented, the management in an organization can look at the workplace conditions to identify issues and scope for improvement.  For instance, ensuring that heating and air conditioning systems are in working condition assures you that your employees are comfortable and productive. Factors like the temperature of a workplace can directly impact productivity rates. 

The installation of smart sensors in meeting rooms and other office spaces to fine-tune to employee preferences automatically is a viable option with a facility management system. This will guarantee that employees feel comfortable and satisfied at work and can put their best foot forward while performing everyday tasks.

Significant Role of Efficient Facility Management in Workplaces

The best practices from the digital revolution have revolutionized the relationship between organizations and customers by amplifying engagement, well-being, and, eventually, business success. The same must happen to the relationship between employees and organizations too.

Besides having the capability to enhance productivity directly, facility management can impact other areas of employees’ lives too. FMS can optimize social interaction among colleagues and enable them to work in an effective, focused, and motivated way.

A sub-optimal workplace is stressful for employees, resulting in disengagement, absenteeism, and attrition. If organizations want employees to work to the best of their ability and be happy, they must demonstrate how much the organization appreciates, respects, and values them by providing the best facilities possible within their reach. That can be achieved with smart facility management solutions.