Grow Your Facilities Talent Through Upskilling Programs
Facilities talent development programs do not need to be resource-intensive, but they may require securing buy-in. In addition to campus-specific data on vacancies and time-to-fill, Facilities leaders can use national data to communicate the talent crunch crisis and advocate for greater upskilling resources.
An institution’s current and future staffing needs should determine which trades their program will focus on training and which type of program to pursue. Facilities leaders should use workforce data, internal capacity evaluations, and certifications requirements to decide between the different upskilling program structures.
For U.S. institutions that opt for an apprenticeship program, leaders must then decide whether to register the program with the U.S. government. Registration or non-registration will determine the design and competencies required for the apprenticeship.
No matter the program type, in-house Facilities talent development programs all require certain operational components to be successful. At a basic level, there are four components Facilities leaders must include in preparation.
The core of any talent development program consists of trainers and the content they teach. This step is the crux of any program and can therefore feel overwhelming for leaders. However, so many resources exist to support program development that leaders shouldn’t start from scratch. Instead, they should use the resources linked below to identify appropriate partners and determine competencies.Â
The final step is to recruit candidates for the program. Successful institutions point to their web presence as a critical entry point for interested applicants. Two great examples include the University of Virginia and the University of Arizona.
- Explore University of Virginia’s Facilities Management Apprenticeship Program here
- Explore University of Arizona’s Facilities Management Apprenticeship Program here
In the midst of a labor shortage and increased competition from the private sector, facilities leaders are seeing more staff turnover. The cost of turnover for some skilled trades positions—candidate recruitment, new employee onboarding, lost productivity—can be as high as 200% of the position’s annual salary.
To ensure the best new hire, facilities teams have started using behavioral-based interview (BBI) questions to evaluate candidates. BBI enables managers to identify candidates who are both technical and cultural fits by auditing concrete examples from past experiences, signaling how the candidate will likely perform in the future. Candidates who spike on both technical and cultural alignment are more likely to attach to the college or university and are less likely to turn over.
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