BIFM and CIPD Combine Forces

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21 May 2014 | Updated 01 January 1970

Last week, at its annual conference – ThinkFM – the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) announced that it will be collaborating with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the professional body for HR and people development, on a number of research and insight projects that will investigate how both communities of professionals are evolving and adapting to the changing workplace.

Peter Cheese, chief executive, CIPD, spoke at the conference on how the workplace has an impact on the workforce and why it is vital that those tasked with managing these key resources within organisations need to work together to maximise the value of its workforce.

This was followed up by Chris Kane, CEO, BBC Commercial Projects and Chair of BIFM’s Futures Group, who explained how breaking down the walls which exist between the worlds of HR and facilities management can create a truly flexible and agile working environment.

“There have been numerous conversations about the evolution of the workplace but we wanted to make sure that the views of these two vital communities of professionals are brought together,” explained Gareth Tancred, CEO, BIFM. “We want them to share their thinking and work together to bridge the gap between people and place as we aim to add to the next instalment of the workplace’s evolution.”

Mr Tancred went on to state that working with CIPD formed part of the strategy of bringing the right people from outside of the FM profession to analyse, debate and challenge the latest thinking that has an impact on the world of business, the economy and wider society.

For his part, Peter Cheese, CEO, CIPD, stated: “The very nature of work is changing. The unprecedented scale and pace of change in the economy and the world of work means there is a critical need to ensure the ways we work, our workforces and workplace cultures are fit for today, and drive performance and growth for the future.”

Mr Cheese argued that workforces were more diverse, with greater flexibility, demanded on the part of both employers and employees, and brought new challenges and opportunities in workforce planning. “The physical workplace is one of many factors in modern management and work that needs to adapt, with business leaders needing to continually innovate and challenge conventional wisdom about what drives performance and engagement,” said Mr Cheese. “That’s why we’re pleased to be working with our colleagues in the facilities management industry, to explore the issues, and to find answers to the challenges they bring.”

The two organisations have a roundtable planned with leading thinkers from both disciplines in the coming weeks as well as a number of community based discussions that will draw views from both HR and FM professionals on the significant challenges in the changing world of the workplace.

Pictured: Peter Cheese, CIPD – “pleased to be working with our colleagues in the facilities management industry, to explore the issues, and to find answers to the challenges they bring”

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 21 May 2014

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