Survey Finds Staff Training Is Top Priority for Facility Managers

Facility managers who participated in CMM’s 2026 In-House/Facility Management Benchmarking Survey highlighted training as their biggest staff consideration.

Among survey respondents, 36% chose employee training as their top staff concern, followed by employee health and safety (29%), employee retention (21%), and proper use of products (14%).

Fittingly, training and certification opportunities are the No. 1 perk that survey participants offer their employees to inspire staff motivation and retention, chosen by 53%. This perk is followed in popularity by nonmonetary incentives such as gifts, meals, and awards (43%); mentoring opportunities (39%); and monetary incentives such as bonuses and cash prizes (24%).

CMM’s latest facility management survey took a deep dive into human resource topics, with survey respondents reporting that the average tenure of their employees is between four to seven years and eight to ten years. (Both options were chosen by 29% of survey participants.) Most of the survey participants (25%) supervise 100 or more employees.

The most common hourly wage for entry-level custodial employees is between US$17 and $19.99, reported by $31% of respondents. Interestingly, that salary rate was also the most common for employees with one year or more or experience (reported by 28% of survey participants), followed by $20 to $22.99 (21%).

Paid holidays are the most commonly provided employee benefit, offered by 92% of survey respondents, followed by health insurance (91%), paid sick leave (90%), paid vacation days (89%), retirement plants (87%), and dental insurance (86%).

Learn more details about staffing at the facilities managed by CMM’s survey participants to determine how your facility’s employee benefits compare. Access the complete CMM 2026 In-House/Facility Management Benchmarking Survey.