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The structures of facilities management teams has seen them overstretched due to the Covid-19 crisis, according to some in the industry.
But Andrew Hulbert, managing director of Pareto FM, said it had also identified the “heroes” across his own firm and the entire industry.
Hulbert told Facilitate: “We are asking fewer people to complete significantly more duties many of which are not part of the standard job description. All whilst the majority of their colleagues and client teams are safely at home on furlough.”
Hulbert also said that the firm had seen “team members take this opportunity to step up and take full accountability on behalf of Pareto and our client base”.
He said: “FM heroes that remain working during this time continue to operate at increased risk due to the commute and the entire industry should be grateful that they are willing to do this.”
This had helped to hone leadership skills which otherwise may not have developed, added Hulbert.
“We’ve seen new leaders born during these times and significant improvement in the performance of those teams remaining at work. There is also the risk of redundancy lingering for many people so they want to ensure they prove their importance and significance in their respective organisations."
He said communication has been key in helping to support the mental health of staff including team training in areas such as social value and also encouraging presentations from staff on topics they are passionate about such as paintballing.
There will be more on this topic in the next issue of Facilitate and at www.facilitatemagazine.com