IWFM Outlook Survey Reveals Challenges in FM Sector

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20 April 2022

The IWFM’s Market Outlook Survey 2022 finds challenges of supply chain squeezes, creeping inflation and a skills shortage of frontline workers.

Each year, this survey of IWFM members provides insights into the challenges and performance of the workplace and facilities management sector. The aim is for the results to help the membership body to build a picture of how the major factors affect the profession in the UK.

IWFM’s Findings

As might be expected, the overall findings for 2022 reflect the broader economic picture of rising energy prices and post-Brexit skilled frontline worker shortages. Other insights show that:

• Six in ten respondents expect an improved outlook for 2022. This figure remained consistent with last year’s survey, with fewer expecting it to worsen - the optimism linked largely to expectations of a reactivated sector as workers return to offices.
• There is a continuation from last year in organisations’ changing workplace strategies to cover remote, home and flexible working. These changing requirements were indicated as “a negative impact”.
• The factors most strongly identified as having a positive impact on the market over the last twelve months were changes in the use of technology and data and in workplace strategies, including remote or hybrid working.
• Awareness and focus on equity, diversity and inclusion issues have increased, but it is also clear that barriers remain that hinder progress in this area, particularly unconscious bias and lack of support, mentors and role models.

Peter Brogan, IWFM’s Head of Research and Insight, commented: “Those able to harness the potential of new and emerging technologies and successfully apply data capture and analysis techniques to optimise technology use will be at the forefront of sector growth. Working from the encouraging insight from this year’s survey, we will continue to develop tools to support the sector to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the evolving workplace.”

You can read the full Market Outlook Survey 2022 report here.

Picture: a photograph of a set of paper reports showing graphs. A hand holding a pen can also be seen. Image Credit: Pexels

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 20 April 2022

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