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The role of facilities leaders is evolving from a traditionally reactive position—focused on maintenance and problem-solving as they arise—to a proactive one that prioritizes the overall workplace experience (WEX). In the modern workplace, employees work in many different locations—not just the office—and expect that the facilities and technology are up to par for them to work seamlessly.
Facility leaders' roles are becoming more human-centric as buildings become more automated. They can no longer simply focus on the physical aspects of the office buildings. Instead, they must go from managing the facility to managing the community. Facilities managers need to be tuned into how people interact with the space, and will need to create spaces that cater to diverse work styles and needs.
“Facilities leaders’ roles have evolved from thinking just about the parts that connect to the building to thinking about the feelings of safety, health, and mental wellness.”
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When Actum Digital employees returned to the office in 2022, they found themselves with “too many people, and not enough desks.” They needed a simple solution that was quick to deploy, easy for employees to adopt, and would inform their facilities and reception team of arriving guests for a seamless and welcoming experience.
With a workplace management system like Skedda, the agency was able to foster an environment that enhances the workplace experience.
With flexible working, the flow of people who visit the office may change day to day. Using a Visitor Management System provides an easier way to welcome guests, ensure compliance, and keep track of visits.
Our team is ready and waiting to talk through your specific desk scheduling requirements and see how Skedda could work for you.
What's more, with AI-driven analytics, smart building systems, and predictive maintenance tools, facilities leaders can now anticipate needs, optimize space usage, and enhance employee well-being. Instead of simply responding to issues, they now play a strategic role in shaping dynamic, efficient, and engaging work environments that support productivity and collaboration in the modern workplace.
“Too often, we take a risk-averse approach. But there’s a quote I always look at that says, ‘Let them tell you no.’ Let others tell you no. Too often, we psych ourselves out and we’d say no automatically. Take a step, take a risk, take a chance. You may be surprised how something you say may land with somebody.”
Companies are also prioritizing connection and collaboration to improve company culture and business outcomes, and turning to facilities leaders to incorporate tech tools that will enhance both the physical and digital workspaces. According to a Harvard Business Review report, respondents said their companies are making facility changes such as adding enhanced digital conference areas (76%), adding more unassigned desks (62%), and adding more meeting spaces (59%).
“Our primary focus used to be the operation of the building: keeping the lights on, water running, and spaces properly conditioned. Then we were pulled into space utilization, event coordination, and security. Now we’re asked to take on more of the workplace experience and how people interact with the space.”
Facilities management is defined as "the integration of people, place, and process." In the modern workplace, the 'people' component is a much bigger priority. Companies are looking to create people-centric and efficient workplaces, with nearly 60% of CBRE respondents stating 'enhancing the employee experience' as their main objective and 45% stating 'boosting employee productivity' as another primary goal.
Facilities leaders are now in a position where they must collaborate with other departments to ensure workplaces are meeting employee well-being goals. They're collaborating more with HR teams about workplace transitions, which used to be a conversation solely for HR. McKinsey & Company reports that businesses adopting a holistic talent management strategy across departments have higher retention rates and a competitive advantage.
“The facilities role is going to be much more human-centric going forward, rather than just making sure the building is running. The facility manager’s role is moving from managing the facility to managing the community.”
Our team is ready and waiting to talk through your specific desk scheduling requirements and see how Skedda could work for you.
There's also a higher need for facilities leaders to collaborate across departments when managing the physical workplace. Security—both physical and digital—is more challenging in flexible environments. The day-to-day fluctuations in physical presence can complicate communication efforts, and the decentralized structure of hybrid work makes implementing uniform security measures difficult. As more people work in locations outside the office, cloud-based apps in hybrid environments can pose additional security risks.
This underscores the importance of facilities leaders collaborating with other departments—especially IT—to set up and maintain comprehensive security solutions that address the risks associated with remote work settings. Implementing access control with real-time data for remote security and compliance monitoring is one way to ensure a more safe and secure modern workplace.
“Physical security doesn't have one assigned responsibility in a company. Sometimes it's with IT, sometimes workplace, sometimes facilities. But ultimately, our vision is to ‘connect people in spaces,’ and that's typically those two different teams."
Facilities leaders are called on to ensure the safety and security of their workplaces. Leveraging technology like access control and occupancy tracking can support this endeavor. Both help control who can enter the physical space and keep track of attendance for future reference and insight.
Additionally, facilities leaders are increasingly tasked with designing effective and attractive workplaces. When planning spaces, they need to ensure that business leaders, including IT, HR, and security, are involved so spaces are designed to genuinely reflect and meet different departments' and individuals' needs. Reconfiguring space requires upfront planning with all parties and detailed drawings to ensure smooth implementation.
Smart organizations will adopt a more collaborative, cross-functional approach, with different departments working together to foster a positive workplace culture.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to report up to different functions, whether it's been operations, HR, or finance. Having those different perspectives helped me know how to target the audience to make an influence and change. I think too often in our careers as facility leaders, we’ve just been akin to one style. Just having that diversity from different lenses helps you.”
As the modern workplace rapidly evolves, facilities leaders must upskill in new technology and AI to stay ahead. Modern workplace management now relies on smart systems for space optimization, predictive maintenance, and real-time data analysis. This means that the leaders who know how to use these smart systems will be able to make informed decisions based on data to create more effective and efficient processes in their workplaces.
“People will come to a space because it provides a fantastic user experience that enables them to be as happy, healthy, and productive as possible. It's gonna be a real skill to create these types of environments. Now, the interesting thing is: who is going to do this? Where’s the opportunity?”
According to the World Economic Forum, some of the top skills on the rise include creative thinking, analytical thinking, technological literacy, and talent management. Facilities leaders are being called on to adapt to the workforce's changing needs and the office's changing purpose, all while implementing new tech tools to improve the workplace's effectiveness.
“Take the basics and apply them to newer technologies like AI. If you don't manage the basics and processes and you're not managing the people in a way that's going to be effective, then those shiny new objects aren't really going to help you.”
By embracing AI-driven tools, facilities leaders can transform from manual processes to strategic decision-making, ensuring workplaces are more efficient, flexible, and employee-centric. Investing in these skills isn't just an option—it's essential for adapting to the demands of the modern workplace.
Together, AI and space management technology will significantly impact facilities as organizations seek to optimize occupancy levels, resources, and energy use.
“As we go forward in our career, especially over the next 10 years, we're about to have 40 years of change in the next 10 years. Continuous learning is going to be a mandatory skill for the future to stay relevant.”
Say goodbye to the chaos of space allocation and welcome a new era of workplace harmony.
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