How to solve the FM Talent Crisis with the Digital Coworker

*independent Market Research on the FM industry by Omnibus UK Group on behalf of askporter

The facilities management industry is grappling with a severe dual threat: a debilitating shortage of skilled labour and the irreversible loss of institutional knowledge from a rapidly retiring workforce. This confluence of challenges creates an immediate, critical imperative for a completely new approach to talent management and operational continuity.

The Hiring and Retention Crisis

The labour market data is unequivocal: more than two-thirds (68%) of FM leaders find it challenging to hire and retain skilled tradespeople. In the short term, the most common response is a costly one: increasing wages and benefits (28% of leaders), which immediately impacts your profitability and places intense pressure on budgets already strained by inflation. The labour crisis forces FM businesses to compete for talent purely on cost, an unsustainable long-term strategy.

The Cost of Lost Institutional Knowledge

Compounding the crisis is the impending loss of experience. The impact of a retiring workforce and the subsequent loss of critical, institutional knowledge is viewed as a high-impact problem by over three-quarters of leaders (76%), with 73% explicitly recognising its high cost implications.

The undocumented, critical knowledge that resides with your most experienced employees—the "tribal knowledge" of your specific buildings and assets—is highly vulnerable. If this information is not captured and codified, you risk a profound decline in service quality, extended downtime for complex repairs, and the erosion of your competitive advantage.

Technology as a Strategic Lever: The Digital Co-Worker

FM leaders are not waiting; they are actively turning to technology to solve this human capital crisis. Investment in automation and AI tools (24%) and expanded training programmes (21%) are the second and third most common solutions being deployed.

The data confirms that technology, particularly AI and automation, is a core component of the long-term talent solution. By implementing AI to automate administrative, repetitive, and low-value tasks, you achieve a few critical objectives:

1. Empowering the Skilled Workforce: You free your expert technicians to focus solely on complex, hands-on, high-value work, making their roles more efficient, more satisfying, and inherently more attractive to new talent.
2. Preserving Knowledge: Automation platforms can codify and store best practices and asset history, effectively preserving institutional knowledge against employee turnover.
3. Attracting a New Generation: You demonstrate a commitment to digital transformation, which is essential for attracting a new, tech-native generation into the FM sector.

Don't just compete for talent—amplify the talent you have. Explore how AI can empower your workforce, preserve your critical knowledge, and provide a clear competitive edge in a demanding market. Read the full report for more insights.

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