The New Role of Facilities Management: Supporting Employee Experience

Facilities management (FM) isn’t just about keeping the lights on anymore. It’s about creating spaces that make people want to show up. As modern work reshapes how, when, and where people engage with the office, FMs have evolved from operational managers to architects of experience—balancing flexibility, data, and empathy to make the office feel purposeful again.

The pandemic accelerated a transformation that was already underway. With occupancy patterns shifting daily, facilities professionals have become the connective tissue of the modern workplace—bridging real estate, IT, and HR to deliver workplaces that attract, not mandate, attendance. The question now is how facilities leaders are adapting to the modern workplace—from managing facilities to ensuring great workplace experiences.

In the third and final part of our RTO Reality series, we share how facilities leaders’ roles have evolved post-pandemic—from connecting places to also connecting people—with the use of data to improve the employee experience. Let’s dive in.

From Background to Foreground: Facilities Become the Face of the Office

Once viewed as a behind-the-scenes function, facilities management now shapes how employees experience the office. Jessica Kane, Sr. Workplace Experience Manager at Cushman & Wakefield, puts it simply: “Facilities is wearing many hats—security, sustainability, event services—all shaping employee experience.”

Small operational details have become big emotional signals. A space that’s too cold, a meeting room that’s double-booked, or a check-in process that feels cumbersome—each quietly shapes how employees perceive the company. FM has gone from invisible to indispensable.

That shift requires systems as trustworthy as the teams behind them. Skedda’s SOC 2 Type 2 Certification underscores that reliability—demonstrating rigorous, audited standards for data protection and operational security. For FMs, that means peace of mind: the technology they rely on to coordinate access, bookings, and utilization is as dependable as the teams they lead.

How Are Facilities Managers Adapting to Flexible Work Environments?

The hybrid work era has blurred the boundaries between home, office, and everything in between. Facilities leaders are now responsible for ensuring that employees have the right tech and resources to do their best work, no matter where they work. This can range from supplying conference rooms with the right equipment to designing office layouts conducive to collaboration.

Modern FMs are also borrowing from hospitality. Jessica calls it the “hospitality mindset in workplace design”—treating employees like valued guests. Borrowing from Disney’s “plussing” concept, every detail—temperature, layout, seating—is an opportunity to exceed expectations. In flexible environments, this mindset turns ordinary spaces into welcoming experiences.

At a time when only 14% of the workforce desires a traditional corporate workplace experience, it’s even more essential that FMs work cross-functionally to create spaces that people actually want to work in (Gensler). The data from CIC and Harvard Business Review highlight where those efforts are focused:

• 76% are adding enhanced digital conference areas
• 62% are increasing the number of unassigned desks
• 59% are expanding collaborative or meeting spaces

These priorities point to a clear direction: technology must bridge the gap between comfort and coordination. The next step for FMs is turning these challenges into solutions through integrated tools that simplify how people connect, collaborate, and work productively:

• Hot Desking enables teams to embrace flexible working and for organizations to optimize space use—especially when employees are not going into the office every day.
• Assigned Spaces in Skedda enable teams to blend predictability and flexibility—mixing assigned desks with bookable areas on a single interactive map that doubles as a seating chart.
• Occupancy Tracking and Auto Check-In automatically confirm presence via Wifi, reducing friction and delivering accurate utilization data.
• Visitor Management welcomes guests with a modern, secure, and customizable check-in process—even supporting walk-in scheduling.
• Space Attributes help employees filter for spaces that match their needs—from “dual monitors” to “dog-friendly”—turning personal preference into productivity.
• Utilization Reports provide insights into space use that FMs can use to inform decision-making, turning data into stories that lead to ROI.
  

With tools like these, flexible work becomes a coordinated system instead of a scheduling experiment. The result: FMs regain control without reintroducing rigidity.

From Building Ops to Employee Experience: The New FM Mission

Facilities leaders now sit at the crossroads of culture, operations, and well-being. Their mission is to create environments that foster productivity and belonging—not just efficiency.

The pandemic cemented this transformation. No longer simply caretakers of buildings, facilities leaders are caretakers of people. Their skills now include:

• Change management
• Stakeholder engagement
• Well-being and wellness focus
• Sustainability and inclusivity

As a result, FM leaders have increasing opportunities to earn a “seat at the table.” They collaborate with HR on hybrid work transitions and culture, advise executives on real estate strategies and cost savings, and drive conversations about the ROI of integrated technology. The modern FM must speak the language of engagement as fluently as the language of logistics. That means collaborating with HR and IT to set hybrid work norms, define usage policies, and measure employee satisfaction. 

Skedda’s Two-Way Sync with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 simplifies this hybrid choreography by keeping bookings consistent across calendars and eliminating double-bookings. Employees can reserve meeting rooms or desks directly within the apps they already use, while admins get reliable, real-time utilization data. And with Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations, teams can instantly see who’s coming into the office—reducing “commute regret” and improving collaboration.

Behind the scenes, SCIM for Skedda keeps user access secure and synced automatically. When an employee joins or leaves, access rules update instantly, ensuring safe, scalable operations across multi-location organizations. 

Together, these capabilities help FMs deliver smooth, connected, and compliant experiences—without manual policing.

The Rise of the FM Analyst: From Gut Instinct to Data Confidence

Facilities management has always required intuition, but today it also demands evidence. As IFMA’s Director of Research Matt Tucker notes, “Facilities management is entering a data‑driven era where storytelling matters as much as technical skill.”

The FM Analyst role blends empathy with analytical precision. Rather than a narrow specialist, this role is strategic—spotting trends, translating insights, and turning data into decisions that move the business forward. The best FMs link analytics to organizational priorities like cost, risk, sustainability, and user experience. When presented clearly, data becomes the story that bridges daily operations and business goals.

Building these skills isn’t simple. Many FMs learn analytics on the job through experimentation or peer coaching, with few receiving formal training. Leadership support is essential—without it, insight work remains isolated and hard to scale. Even in advanced settings, fragmented data and weak system connections can erode confidence and slow progress. This is where a workplace management platform that allows FMs to access multiple sources of data about office space comes in handy:

Skedda’s Space Insights Dashboard turns real-time utilization data into actionable storytelling. By integrating verified presence data from Auto Check-In and Occupancy Tracking via Wifi, FMs can visualize which areas are thriving, which need redesign, and where investments will drive the greatest ROI. Reliable inputs mean credible insights—a must-have when presenting to the C-suite.

With these tools, FMs can finally close the loop between physical space and organizational strategy—translating data into stories that secure budget, buy-in, and cultural change.

Future Trends in Facilities Management

The next decade of facilities management will be defined by adopting a hospitality mindset, embracing artificial intelligence, and designing workplaces with intentionality. The future FM blends human insight with automation to design workplaces that work for everyone.

You can expect to see:

• AI-driven utilization forecasting and adaptive scheduling.
• Neurodiversity-friendly design guided by sensory data.
• Integrated well-being analytics that connect environmental factors to productivity outcomes.

As Kay Sargent, Director of Thought Leadership, Interiors, at HOK, put it:

“Work environments today need to be more human-centric. By designing for the extremes—accommodating various personality traits, work styles, and neurotypes—we benefit everyone. The office must transform into a cultural platform that meets the needs of today, and relying on yesterday’s answers won’t get us there.”

Inclusion isn’t just physical—it’s linguistic. Skedda’s multilingual platform (now in Spanish, French, and German) ensures global accessibility, empowering teams to book and collaborate in their preferred language. That accessibility, combined with SOC 2 Type 2-certified security standards, reflects a future where workplace management tools are as inclusive and trustworthy as the environments they support.

The FM Superpower: Empathy Meets Data

The facilities manager of tomorrow isn’t just maintaining space. Their new superpower lies in combining empathy with insight, using data to make workplaces both efficient and emotionally intelligent.

With Skedda, FMs can finally bridge the operational and human sides of work:

• Automation that simplifies daily management.
• Data that tells the truth about space use.
• Experiences that make employees feel seen, supported, and secure.

Facilities management isn’t just about where people work. It’s about how they feel when they do. See how Skedda helps facilities leaders turn flexibility into focus—with secure, automated, and people-first workplace management. Book a demo with a workplace expert today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does facilities management mean in the modern workplace?
Modern facilities management goes beyond maintenance and operations. Today’s FMs are responsible for creating workplaces that support employee well-being, collaboration, and engagement. Their role blends operational efficiency with human experience, aligning space, technology, and culture.

How are facilities managers adapting to flexible work environments?
Facilities managers are moving from managing physical spaces to connecting people within them. They’re implementing flexible work policies, hybrid scheduling, and data-driven space management tools like Skedda to balance predictability with freedom while ensuring a seamless employee experience.

What is the hospitality mindset in workplace design?
The hospitality mindset means treating employees like valued guests. It’s about anticipating needs and creating thoughtful, consistent experiences that make people feel cared for. Borrowing from concepts like Disney’s “plussing”, facilities teams use design and service to turn offices into destinations people choose to work from.

Why is data important in facilities management?
Data transforms facilities management from reactive to strategic. Tools such as occupancy tracking and insights dashboards help FMs measure utilization, justify investments, and align workplace design with organizational goals like productivity, sustainability, and cost efficiency.

What future trends are shaping facilities management?
The next decade will bring AI-driven utilization forecasting, neurodiversity-centered design, and multilingual technology platforms that promote inclusion. Future-ready FMs will combine empathy with analytics to create spaces that are adaptive, accessible, and employee-first.

How does Skedda support modern facilities management?
Skedda empowers facilities managers to manage flexible work environments with ease. Features like Assigned Spaces, Auto Check-In, Visitor Management, and Two-Way Sync with Google and Microsoft help FMs simplify scheduling, improve data accuracy, and create people-first workplace experiences.