Attracting and empowering women in FM careers

Valerie Miller has had a long and successful career in facilities management, working her way up from supporting an FM call desk, to executive board level at one of the UK’s largest organisations in the sector, and now as Chief Customer Officer for hard FM specialist and workflow management software pioneers, DMA Group. Passionate about FM, and passionate about empowering more women and other underrepresented groups into the space, Val gives her top tips for creating more inclusive and diverse workplaces.

Valerie will be taking part in a panel discussion on training & recruitment in FM at the show- at 11:10am on the 7th of October.

I’m sure it is of no surprise to readers that the FM sector is still largely male dominated. According to an IWFM survey in 2021, at the time, men accounted for 66% of the workforce. While things are moving in the right direction, there is certainly more than could be done to empower women in FM to progress into senior roles and crucially, encourage young people of all demographics to consider a career in this space.

Overall, demand for FM services is rising, yet FM employers are finding it hard to find staff to meet this demand. To realise the potential of this exciting and varied industry, which has such sway in ambitions such as the UK’s drive to net zero, we need a collaborative and 360-degree approach that focuses on nurturing existing talent, while bringing fresh blood into the fold, starting in schools and colleges. I certainly didn’t know much about facilities management until I fell into it by chance and I’m sure that is true for many people in this industry. It’s time to put FM on the map, which leads me to my first tip: 

Promote FM careers to the next generation

Facilities management has an image problem; it covers such broad and far-reaching areas it can be hard to distil its essence and present a case that is appealing to career starters and changers. There is so much opportunity however, with a wide array of roles, pitched at a variety of levels. Apprenticeships are key and employers interested in taking on an apprentice are currently at an advantage. With University costing vast amounts of money there is a real opportunity to attract the brightest talent directly from schools and colleges.

I would argue that more emphasis needs to be placed on the Facilities Management apprenticeships available and/or educational pathways that focus on the other areas covered by FM such as contract and supply chain management, data analytics (including AI), customer service, procurement, sales and marketing. Engineering has traditionally been the starting point for many in FM, but there really is so much more to offer and this needs to be better communicated.

Inspire and support

For young women specifically, we must be demonstrating that FM is a space they are welcome and can thrive in. In my own career, inspiring women have been instrumental to helping me achieve the things I have. Without their guidance, I wouldn’t have had the self-belief to reach my full potential; they showed me how to be professional, organised, confident and reach for the stars. I’m sure this is true for many people, men and women alike – having someone who inspires and lifts you up is a game changer.

I have mentored women myself, particularly in regards to juggling the work-life balance and ‘having it all’. I recently helped a young lady finishing maternity leave; she has great potential but was so worried she couldn’t cope with her job and her new family when she returned. Through several coaching sessions, we put aside all her worries. She is now back at work receiving proper support and encouragement, which gave her the push to apply and secure a promotion.

Progression routes need to be clear and well-structured. Consider matching women (and others) with senior leaders who can provide guidance and advice. In my experience, one of the biggest things holding women back is a lack of self-belief; you get more men going for senior roles because there are statistically more men in FM, it could also be that some women feel less inclined to throw their hat in the ring. 

Management development programs are a fantastic way to recognise talented, hard-working people who have the potential to reach senior leadership roles. By investing in the development of their employees, organisations can build engaged and committed workforces. 

Accommodate, don’t discriminate

We also need to ensure that workplaces don’t discriminate based on old fashioned assumptions around childcare and family duties. Women do still take the lion’s share of care and domestic duties – just 6% of women in a relationship say their partner manages this work, according to research by YouGov – but that does not mean that these women don’t want fulfilling careers and can’t bring much to the table. It just means that flexibility is essential to ensure diversity; for women and anyone else that is responsible for others outside of their job role. 

If statistically we know women’s careers are more disrupted than their counterparts: childbirth, family caregiving, mum’s taxi service, and, as it’s now being brought to the forefront, menopause, then shouldn’t we being doing more to help? Another way of looking at it is that YouGov statistic is that potentially 94% of women are having a really hard time trying to balance home commitments with their careers; understanding and accommodating employers could just be the catalyst to balance things out across the board. More equal paternity leave, for example, would be a real gamechanger. 

Overall, modern employers that care about the wellbeing of their staff and understand the positive impact this has on creating enjoyable and productive workspaces, will see the value in being supportive. One of the reasons I moved from the large corporate world was that DMA allows home working, which in turn has allowed me to improve my work life balance, be a better mother and employee. In fact, one of the only good things to come out of the pandemic is the acceleration of working from home culture, a trend that, according to the International Ltd.’s Women in Business report, will continue to benefit women’ career trajectories long-term.

Ultimately, more diverse workplaces with a range of voices and different experiences result in greater creativity, versatility and agility – attributes that have certainly helped DMA over the years.