ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Soft FM services form an essential part of hygiene, orderliness, and presentation for businesses, brands, organisations, and communities worldwide. The attraction and retention of talent is pivotal for sustained success. But in an industry that is often overlooked, how can we do that? Kelly Dolphin, chief people and culture officer at services provider SBFM, tell us about the initiatives it has implemented in its business.

It's important to recognise people are the driving force behind our sector’s success. Without our people, there are no services. It’s a simple truth, but one we should never forget - despite the continued focus on new products, technologies, and strategies. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial we understand what our workforce values most, beyond pay and benefits.

At SBFM, we’ve taken a focused approach to recognition, introducing dedicated schemes to highlight the remarkable accomplishments of our staff which we know too often go unacknowledged in the wider world. We’ve also introduced systems that allow our clients to highlight employee dedication and achievement, encouraging recognition directly from the teams which our staff are delivering services for.

Through initiatives like these, we’re making recognition a key part of our culture, with environments where employees feel appreciated and motivated to excel. It’s all about cultivating a community that recognises, rewards and truly celebrates our employees.

Providing opportunities for growth and development is crucial in attracting and retaining talent within any sector. While soft FM is often overlooked, the development opportunities and career prospects our sector offers are vast.

By investing in our workforce through innovative development programmes, support networks, and training opportunities, we can nurture employee talent and cultivate a workforce that is motivated, engaged and committed to the long-term success of our industry.

At SBFM, we’re proud to have launched an initiative dedicated to the development and progression of our employees – Evolve. Evolve is designed to provide employees with unique, tailored development support through coaching, training, and guidance. We believe everyone has the potential to grow and excel. What’s important is the support and opportunities available to them. Through Evolve, we give our employees the opportunities they need, encouraging ambition and empowering them to reach new heights.

Those heights don’t have to be within FM either. It’s no secret that attrition in facilities management is high and, as in most sectors, it’s seen as a negative. In delivering Evolve however, we’ve come to view things differently. We understand that some people don’t aspire to remain in FM forever.

Rather than viewing that as a negative, we want to support and facilitate progression within our workforce, ensuring everyone who works in our sector is supported fully. Through Evolve, and by collaborating with our clients and partners, we support that progression – because it’s the right thing to do.

We don’t mind that people move on to different sectors if they choose to. What’s important to us is that those colleagues have had a positive experience, where they’ve been enabled and supported to achieve their future goals.

Evolve is a transformative initiative, delivering meaningful and extensive development opportunities to staff. As well as encouraging the continued commitment of colleagues within our sector, initiatives like this are a powerful way of attracting talent to our industry, providing a support network that employees can rely on to develop themselves and their career.

Career pathways

For most people, we know that facilities management is not a sector that immediately comes to mind when charting ambition and planning a career path. On the surface, cleaning roles may seem straightforward with little room for progression, but entirely the opposite is true. The world of FM is full of opportunity.

It’s essential to promote the diverse career pathways available while highlighting the success stories of individuals who have grown from entry-level positions to leadership roles. By promoting the limitless opportunities available and by providing clear development pathways to employees from day one, we can attract ambitious individuals looking to build fulfilling careers.

However, it’s also important to remember external recruitment isn’t always the answer. There is hidden talent within every sector, none more so than FM. Our industry is filled with talented and gifted individuals who are eager for the chance to prove themselves and progress. It’s up to us to give those people the chances they need to develop into our next generation of leaders.

By making meaningful investment in employee development and promoting FM for the opportunities it can offer, organisations can attract top talent while retaining high-performing employees who are eager to grow and contribute to our success.

Prospective employees are increasingly drawn to organisations that demonstrate a vibrant work culture and inclusive environments. It’s important for us all to acknowledge this and cultivate workplace environments that value people, encourage collaboration and instil a sense of purpose.
Nurturing a positive company culture is paramount to success. To do that, we must take the time to understand our workforce and make sure everyone is included, not only to support our current workforce, but to attract new talent.

Our industry is made up of a rich mosaic of races, ethnicities, cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives. That diversity is a blessing, and we must embrace it while making concentrated efforts to make sure everyone is included and valued to create a genuine sense of community.

At SBFM, we’ve harnessed technology to support in the creation of that community. Through innovation and investment, we’re breaking down barriers that have previously limited cohesion, including language barriers. Steps like this are crucial in creating a sense of belonging. We’re committed to keep building on our achievements to foster a supportive culture with a genuine sense of inclusion and community.

Transparency and integrity of communication is also vital. Employees want to know they are truly listened to, and it’s important we make sure they are. This can be done through engagement and satisfaction surveys, appraisals and reviews.

More importantly, we must act upon those views, with tangible evidence and meaningful change generated. That’s what makes employees feel valued and forms a sense of trust. Creating a sense of community can transcends barriers and make everyone feel included.

Disadvantaged groups

Too many disadvantaged groups - ex-forces personnel, ex-offenders, the long-term unemployed, people with a disability - are often overlooked and under-represented. At SBFM, we’re passionate about supporting them. For example, ex-forces veterans bring a unique set of skills, disciplines, and leadership qualities that have been acquired during their service. A job in FM can provide a supportive environment that enables transition while offering opportunities for progression.

Similarly, ex-offenders often face resistance due to stigma and discrimination. By offering employment opportunities and providing support and resources, soft FM companies can empower them to overcome those barriers while providing opportunities for growth and development.

We should always remember that people are the most important part of our services. It’s crucial the cleaning industry embraces an approach that places people at the forefront, emphasising recognition, engagement, opportunity, and culture. By doing this, we can fuel the attraction and retention of talent within FM and secure the continued success of our industry.

sb-fm.co.uk