5.18.10 | Houston, TX | The International Facility Management Association and “Today’s Facility Manager” have teamed up to release a new study, the “Facility Management Staffing Report.” Providing an overview of staffing issues within the facility management profession, this report allows facility and human resources professionals to determine if they are applying sufficient support to the FM function. In addition to staffing tables, the report delves into factors that drive staffing, such as industry sector, facility size and type, and outsourcing practices.

The “Facility Management Staffing Report” is based on a survey of IFMA members and “Today’s Facility Manager” readers. The survey assessed staffing levels for professional, skilled trade and non-skilled FM positions; measured total staffing levels; and identified factors that drive staffing — such as industry sector, size and type of space managed, outsourcing practices, employee turnover and location. The study also provides a ratio of FM staff to square footage managed.

Study respondents include 1,414 FM professionals working in 134,900 locations/unique buildings, managing 9.91 billion square feet of space. Based on these numbers, and by determining what proportion of the total FM universe these responses comprise, the report estimates that there are a total of 408,000 facility professionals working in the United States.

Among the study’s findings:

• The majority of FMs work in a service industry, followed by institutional and manufacturing settings;
• More than half of FMs manage multiple buildings in multiple sites, and many manage a combination of owned and leased space;
• The majority of companies handle facility planning, project management, moves/additions/changes, space planning, and operations and maintenance in house;
• Services most often handled by a third-party provider are janitorial, roads and grounds, construction, food services and security;
• An average of 59.3 total staff work within each company’s facilities department, including professional staff, skilled trade and non-skilled workers;
• In the past year, FMs report an annual pay increase of 2 percent for professionals, skilled trade and non-skilled workers; and
• Four out of 10 respondents report that their total space managed has increased over the past year, indicating that FMs are doing more with less staff.

“We were pleased to derive an estimate of the current number of facility professionals, as we’ve always believed the number is much higher than what’s been reported in the past,” said Shari Epstein, IFMA’s director of research. “There are many practitioners who perform the responsibilities of managing a public or private facility full time, yet they may not have realized there is a profession that serves them.”

“We were eager to invite our audience of facility professionals to participate in this important study,” said Susan Coene, “Today’s Facility Manager” executive publisher. “By providing an estimate of the number of facility professionals in the field — as well as a look at the myriad duties and challenges they face every day — this report is critical to understanding the current state of FM. Many facility professionals are being asked to do more with less, and the decisions they make about their company’s operations are more critical than ever.”

To purchase a copy of the “Facility Management Staffing Report,” click here to visit the IFMA bookstore, or e-mail [email protected].  

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About IFMA

IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 19,000 members in 78 countries. The association’s members, represented in 124 chapters and 16 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$100 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational programs, recognizes facility management certificate programs and produces World Workplace, the world’s largest facility management conference and exposition. To join and follow IFMA’s social media outlets online, visit the association’s LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages. For more information, visit the IFMA press room or www.ifma.org.

About Today’s Facility Manager

Since 1988, Today’s Facility Manager has established itself as a leading media brand serving the facility management profession. A monthly magazine, Today’s Facility Manager, as well as e-Newsletters, FacilityBlog, and The TFM Forum keep professionals up-to-date on the latest practices, products, and services in the field. To learn more, visit TodaysFacilityManager.com.