Women in Facilities Management

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we wanted to use the opportunity to highlight diversity and inclusion within the sector. Breaking into what has been known as a male-dominated industry can be difficult. But the world is changing and women are excelling in careers once dominated by men. And, as more and more women are realising that their skills and experience are perfect for FM, could they be changing the face of facilities management?

A recent report shows that men outnumber women nine to one in facilities management leadership roles. But the shortage of FM talent has caused companies to look outside the norm. Companies are realising the benefits of having a diverse team as they make every effort to close the gender gap. Therefore, there has never been a better opportunity for women in facilities management to make their mark.

At the very core of facilities management is people. Facilities managers have a great amount of control over the environment we work in and this has a profound impact on employees. Anything from cleaning and maintenance, to improving health and wellbeing; it’s all in a day’s work for a facilities manager. Therefore, if FM teams are not truly diverse, how can they really understand the needs of the building’s users?

Increasing the representation of women in facilities management can only be a good thing.

Let’s hear from some women in facilities management…

We work with many women in facilities management and have placed them into roles that really fit their skill set. Take Karen for example. Karen works on one of our clients sites as a Building Manager. She is responsible for the running of the site, from building management to front of house. We asked her what she thought about being a woman in facilities management –

“I have been a woman in Facilities Management for over 10years and it has been very rewarding. There is no job without its challenges. However, for me, my FM job has been great, and I would encourage women to come into this profession without fear or doubts. As we celebrate International Women Day 2022, if you are considering a new career path then I encourage you to come into Facilities Management.”

A lot of our clients are also female facilities managers. We asked Tina about her experience so far –

“I have been in facilities for most of my career.  I love the variety it offers, the different functions you cover and how it provides the ability to develop transferable skills that you can take across different organisations and sectors.  

My main interest is soft services and I have been able to progress from a junior role to senior management level, have studied for qualifications from certificate to PhD level and am still learning, as the wide definition of facilities across different organisations, always provides a new challenge.  

If you are a people person, it enables you to manage a multi skilled team and work with multiple functions within the organisation.  I think it provides a great career opportunity for women in the workplace.”

What do the women of Catch 22 think?

At Catch 22, we are proud of our diverse team of talent. Their powerful combination of expertise and intelligence help to deliver peace of mind for our clients and candidates.

This is what our Technical Recruitment Consultant Laura had to say about women in facilities management –

“I work on the ‘Technical’ desk, managing hard services roles. The clients and candidates I speak to are predominately male. It would be good to see more women working within the hard services side of facilities management. I think women can carry a lot of knowledge and bring many transferable skills into the FM industry. It would be good to see more women carrying out more labour-intensive roles. 

I’m still quite new to the FM industry and when I started with Catch 22, I did wonder if there could be a chance that being a woman working within hard services may not be as well received as if it was done by a male consultant. However, I’ve found that this hasn’t been the case at all and hasn’t affected my ability to carry out any consultant work.”

Jeanette is one of our Managing Consultants for Business Support

“Facilities management was very new to me 3 and half years ago. I, like many others, presumed that it was more of a man’s job. But my opinion changed when, before starting in FM recruitment, I saw a job description for a Facilities Supervisor. I realised that I had the transferable skills needed to do this kind of work.

Being a Mum, I have gained lots of organisational and planning skills. I had also project managed building work at my own home. This led me to have a good understanding of building requirements and working with contractors. All great skills for a job in FM. I personally feel that we need to encourage more young women to look at a career in facilities management.”

Whether you’re looking for your first step in facilities management, or want to progress your career, we’d love to hear from you. Our expert team of recruiters can help you find the perfect facilities management job. Alternatively, take a look at all our latest opportunities in facilities management and apply online today.