We entered 2020 with a tight labor market and the strongest unemployment rates in decades. With this labor shortage, employers have never been more concerned with retention strategies and training their staff to do their jobs well and be part of their team for the long haul. It is not surprising then that employee retention and training were the biggest concerns with cleaning staff among facility services professionals who participated in the 2020 CMM In-House/Facility Management Benchmarking Survey.
When asked what issues were important to their facilities and operations, training/education was also among the top five responses that survey participants ranked as important “to a large extent.” Health and safety ranked highest, followed by improving facility image, improving productivity/efficiencies, security, and training/education of staff.
An open-ended question about critical issues facing the facility management industry today revealed similar concerns about qualified staffing, employee retention, and proper training, as well as infection control and budget concerns.
When it comes to operating budgets specifically, 36% of respondents reported an increased budget for 2020, up 11% from 2015 and the same as in 2019. Another one-third (32%) reported a flat budget compared to 2019, still better compared to 40% in 2015.
These favorable outlooks reflect the positive economic climate at the end of last year when budgets were made and before the arrival of the novel coronavirus in the U.S in early 2020.
Uncertainties associated with the pandemic are inevitable, but this annual survey is intended to help you plan and prepare the best you can by evaluating your operation regularly, comparing your facility to others, and finding ideas that will help you improve your facility now for future success.
Download the full survey below:
