Find a foothold in facilities management

The boom in construction activity across the country and need for high-quality support services like security, housekeeping, equipment repair and bill payment in plush housing enclaves has opened more doors for the new breed of facilities managers, writes Manoj Kumar.

The boom in the construction sector across the country and demand for high-quality integrated support services-- like security, housekeeping, equipment repairs and bill payment--- in housing societies have given rise to job opportunities in a new field-commonly known as facilities management.

Even in commercial areas like multiplexes or multi-storeyed business centres, companies are hiring facilities managers or outsourcing this kind of work to agencies that specialise in providing support services. Demand for facilities managers has really picked up in the residential and commercial localities of Delhi, Grumman, Noir and Ghaziabad, besides other metropolitan cities like Bangalore and Mumbai.

Industry watchers say that hundreds of jobs are being created in this new field every year in North India itself. Cushman & Wakefield India, DLF Constructions, Omaxe Constructions and Knight Frank, among others, are offering job opportunities in this field.

Says Sarita Banerjee, Manager Public Relations, Vatika Group, "The profession of facilities management has come of age in the past few years. It is a challenging and well-paid job. Indeed, it involves specialised work, which has great potential for promotion." The industry analysts say that at the entry level, a facilities manager can expect to earn from Rs 8,000 to Rs 15,000 per month and the amount can go up to Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 within 5-7 years.

Later, a facilities manager can also set up his own firm after gaining adequate experience in this line.

Nature of work

A facilities manager performs a broad range of duties, which include maintenance, telecommunications management, security, parking, assured power supply, and garbage disposal, besides landscaping, pest control and other services. Additional responsibilities include maintenance of high-tech elevators, swimming pools, community halls and parking lots.

Specific duties for these managers vary by degree of responsibility and authority. First-line facilities managers directly supervise the staff that performs various support services. Mid-level managers, on the other hand, develop departmental plans, set goals and deadlines, implement procedures to improve productivity and customer service, and define the responsibilities of supervisory-level managers.

Professional qualifications

Educational requirements for these managers vary widely, depending on the size and complexity of the organisation. In small organisations, experience may be the only requirement needed to enter a position as office manager. When an opening in facilities management occurs, the office manager may be promoted to the position based on past performance. In large organisations, however, facilities services managers normally are hired from outside and each position demands formal educational qualifications and experience. Some managers have advanced degrees like BE (Electrical, Mechanical), besides MBA in Finance or Administration from prestigious institutes besides experience in marketing.

In small organisations, a single manager may oversee all support services. In larger ones, however, first-line administrative services managers often report to mid-level managers who, in turn, report to owners or top-level managers. As the size of the firm increases, facilities managers are more likely to specialise in specific support activities. For example, some managers work primarily as office managers, contract managers or part- time consultants.

Demand for quality service

Facility managers say that people residing in posh enclaves of Delhi or Gurgaon do not mind paying even, say, Rs 2000 to Rs 5,000 per month for quality services. Says Rajinder Sharma, a facility manager working in Noida, "Since the law and order situation in Noida, Greater Noida and even Gurgaon is not satisfactory, people are ready to pay handsome money for security besides maintenance of other services." The property builders, he said, are also

charging one-time charges, say Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 for these services, besides monthly charges on property area.

Working conditions

Facilities managers generally work from comfortable, even plush, offices. Managers involved in contract administration and personal property procurement, use, and disposal may travel between their home office, branch offices, vendors' offices, and property sales sites. Also, facility managers who are responsible for the design of workspaces may spend time at construction sites and may travel between different facilities while monitoring the work of maintenance, grounds, and custodial staff. However, new technology has increased the number of managers who telecommute from home or other offices, and teleconferencing has reduced the need for travel.

Says Banerjee, "Persons interested in becoming facilities managers should have good communication skills and be able to establish effective working relationships with many different people, ranging from managers, supervisors, and professionals, to clerks and blue-collared workers." They should be analytical, detail-oriented, flexible, and decisive. They must also be able to co-ordinate several activities simultaneously, quickly analyse and resolve specific problems, and cope with deadlines, she adds.

Most utility managers in small organisations advance by moving to other management positions or to a larger organisation. Advancement is easier in large firms that employ several levels of service managers.

Advancement of facility managers is based on the practices and size of individual companies. Some facility managers get transferred from other departments within the organisation or work their way up from technical positions. Others advance through a progression of facility management positions that offer additional responsibilities.