Tag: Facilities Management

What’s in a title?

~ gannebassett ~ Leave a comment

There comes a time when you have to start looking for jobs in areas that may not be your so-called area of expertise. I actually reached that point long, long ago, but today I had an interview that placed a spotlight on yet another level of insanity in the job search.

The interview was for a Customer Service Representative.

The job description explains the position would be in a call center environment, responding to new requests, complaints and service orders from established accounts. Systems furniture experience a plus.

I come from a Facilities Management background. For those of you who don’t know what that means, I have explained this further in a previous blog: http://wp.me/p3HHLR-7M. Relevant to this current job opportunity, I have been the person employees call when something environmental is preventing them from being functional and productive in their positions.

For the general “worker bee,” a colloquialism often used to describe the staff you find in support areas (such as the mail room, copy center or reception desk) and in the sea of standard cubicles, the requests would involve a wide range of issues. Fedex didn’t pick-up the packages, there’s no diet coke in the vending machine, there’s a foul odor coming from the drain in the restroom, the flourescent light is flickering, a power outlet doesn’t work, the cube isn’t set-up for a left-handed person, the copy machine is jammed, the keyboard tray is causing carpel tunnel syndrome, someone cooked fish in the microwave and the smell is causing mass nausea, the courier stole my honey bun…

Middle manager calls are geared a little differently. Their calls sound more like this:

* My team needs to be seated in the same cubicle cluster so they can effectively brainstorm
* We don’t have a departmental printer
* Our system needs UPS backup
* The A/V system in the conference room doesn’t work
* There aren’t enough filing cabinets
* It’s always cold
* It’s always hot
* Why don’t we have a bigger breakroom?

Then there are the executive calls. Mission critical resources need to have generator back-up, what are the disaster recovery plans, our competitor has Kate Spade chins, raised flooring is required, the caterer needs a serving area, the flower arrangement in the lobby is hideous, I’d rather have a cheery wood desk, someone is stinking up the executive restroom…

Yes, clearly the Facilities Manager job involves a great deal of customer service. Since it also involves space planning and the build-out of cubicle spaces using systems furniture, I’d be a great fit for this position. Right?

“I don’t see your Customer Service positions on your resume.”

There’s a reason the “experts” tell you to go with a functional resume when applying for jobs involving transferable skills rather than title matching for the position. It’s so you can see the actual “customer service” that has been performed. You can see the skill at work.

I point out the Customer Service section outlining this specific experience and my career successes.

“But you haven’t actually been a Customer Service specialist.”

I discuss how Facilities Management is by definition a customer service specialist, regaling him with a few stories of customer service scenarios and the aligning procedures. We talk about difficult situations and positive outcomes. We discuss systems furniture, the job specific requests and how I would approach the customer. He is clearly impressed.

Or is he?

“We’re looking for someone who’s been an actual Customer Service Specialist.”

Ummm…Forty minutes into this interview and it’s become clear experience isn’t as important as title.

Note to self: Next time don’t waste time on that “functional resume.” Just be creative with the job titles; it involves less editing since the experience remains the same. And if they call to check references, don’t worry about the lie. You can always say they did a re-org and the position titles changed. After all, what’s in a title? A title by any name is still the same.

And to the college kid who had Customer Service Specialist experience from his fast food service days and therefore got the job, but now has no idea how to handle the customer who just went ballistic because her ped drawer locked on its own and she can’t get to her cell phone: Congratulations.

LEED The Way To Sustainability

~ gannebassett ~ Leave a comment

Sustainability is by far the most common and on-going trend in Facilities Management.

Oh, how we love such buzz words!

Simply put, “sustainability” is the goal of meeting our current needs without compromising the abilities of future generations to meet their own needs.  It’s all about environmental science in the workplace: energy, waste and water management against environmental impact. To stand out in the industry, a facilities manager must be committed to environmental stewardship and incorporating sustainable practices into day-to-day operations through programs such as recycling, energy efficiency measures, green landscaping, custodial services, clean energy and transportation to name a few.

Most Facilities Management teams have always focused on this because let’s face it, the financial gains as well as the health and safety benefits of pursuing green space cannot be denied. Over the last few years, it’s become mainstream.  When something becomes mainstream, it results in yet another certification to acquire for credibility and proof that you know how to do your job.

LEED is an internationally recognized green building program.  Participation in the voluntary LEED process demonstrates leadership, innovation, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

What came first The FacMan or the LEED?

There had to be people already implementing measurable programs for the consensus-based program to become market-driven.  Then the market demands a third-party verification standard for an “unbiased” evaluation, and BAM!  Facilities Managers have a necessity for more letters connected to their names.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not minimizing the importance of LEED programs or criticizing the certification credentials.  Such certifications have given much needed attention and credibility to a career field often under-valued, if even recognized.  But do they really confirm or deny the knowledge, efforts or initiatives currently in place for many Facilities Managers?  Not always.

The project certifications however, provide benefits beyond personal career goals and objectives in the form of tax credits, zoning allowances and other government initiatives.  Project certifications and professional credentials go hand-in-hand. This being the case, those letters have become a symbol of the trend…

Facilities Managers LEED the way to sustainability.

 

For more information on obtaining LEED certifications and credentials:  http://new.usgbc.org/leed

What The Heck Is Facilities Management?

~ gannebassett ~ Leave a comment

I remember when I first got into Facilities Management.

Well, I’d been in the field for years, but they called it “support services.”  It wasn’t until I was actually managing the support staff and engineers that I found myself under the official umbrella.  It didn’t bring much prestige.  Most people seemed to think the facilities managers were the people in charge of Christmas decorations.  Ironically, that was true.

It was the fall when I took on the position, and ultimately the task of refreshing the ancient decorations on a shoe string budget.  I found myself in a large conference room stripping all of the wreaths down to the twisted wood vines and creating the new look.  For several days, I clothed styrofoam balls, created bows and painted bells…and stood amazed that I was making such a fine salary off such a job.

That was before the drama started.  It was before the awakening.

People still don’t immediately understand the role of Facilities Management.  Wikipedia describes it as:  an interdisciplinary field devoted to the coordination of space, infrastructure, people and organisation, often associated with business services functions, such as offices, arenas, schools, convention centers, shopping complexes, hospitals, hotels, etc. as well as non-core functions and activities related to the business.

*Crickets Chirping*

What does that mean?

To put it in more simple terms, Facilities Management is the field dedicated to creating and ensuring a functional environment, which includes people, place, process and technology.

I usually still get blank stares at this explanation, to which I quickly respond.  “When you have a complaint and don’t know who to call, whether it be a clogged toilet, a leaky Liebert, a blown circuit, your phone is down or the vending machine doesn’t stock Nutty Bars, Facilities Management is the group you need to call.

That usually satisfies the basic question, but it doesn’t really express the insanity of the job.  Anyone in the field can toss around terms like sustainability, risk management and efficiency control, and then explain construction projects, infrastructure design, support services and operating budgets are often their core functions, but the most time-consuming task for a facilities manager is simply dealing with people.

Facilities Managers are either the most grumpy and rude people you’ll ever meet, or they are the ones most likely to be laughing and dancing through the cubicle maze.  Either way, they are rarely bored because there is no such thing as mundane in this job.  If you are one who feels a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day when you see you’ve marked through the tasks on your checklist, this would not be the job for you.

Good intentions are paved with checklists.

A facilities manager will start the day off with 10-20 priority tasks that will become secondary to the black light bulb over reception or the foul smell on the executive floor…or the employee who’s colostomy bag burst in front of the mail room.  We are jugglers of the unexpected, the disgusting, the novel and the senseless.

And for the most part, I love my job.