Skills and competencies for industry-ready facility managers

Purpose Facilities management(FM) is a growing and evolving profession, shaped by technology, environmental and economic challenges, changing work dynamics and evolving global trends. Successful facilities managers need diverse skills and competencies to maintain a safe, efficient and comfortable built environment. Required co vary by role and management level. This study aims to guide the identification of essential competencies for industry professionals, academics and those entering the FM field. Design/methodology/approach The study consists of three phases. Firstly, an in-depth literature survey was conducted by studying journal articles, websites and publications made by professional bodies outlining the skills, competencies and responsibilities required. In Phase 2, emerging job roles and competencies required of facility managers were identified through a review of 100 global job advertisements and semi-structured interviews with 15 industry experts. In Phase 3, a mapping was created by linking the competencies and the diverse job positions identified in Phase 2 through manual content analysis. Findings In total, 34 facilities management-related job roles were examined in relation to 54 skills and competencies across 10 competency domains. While the most in-demand competency categories are human resources and relationship management, and strategic and financial management, communication, financial management and operations and maintenance are some sub-competencies demanded across all managerial levels and job roles. However, the competency requirements may change based on the nature of the job role. Originality/value This exploratory study, the first to map FM job roles with required competencies, guides professionals in aligning their skills with emerging industry trends and market demands.