When the world is in flux… when supply chains falter, buildings must adapt, and uncertainty becomes routine, resilience is no longer optional. It is essential.
This has been the spirit behind World FM Day 2025, observed on the second Wednesday of May. This year’s theme, Resilience in Action: FM Thriving in a World of Change, highlights the silent strength of an industry that holds everything together, quietly, consistently, and without fanfare.
Facility Management professionals are the invisible force behind the seamless functioning of spaces we use every day, right from offices and hospitals to schools, malls, and industrial sites. If everything works as it should, chances are an FM professional is doing their job well.
But FM today is not just about maintenance. It is about managing complexity. It is about integrating people, processes, systems and spaces in a way that ensures not only functionality, but also safety, comfort, sustainability and performance. As buildings grow smarter and user expectations rise, the FM role has transformed into one that demands strategic thinking, operational agility and — above all — resilience.
Resilience is being tested.
One of the most urgent challenges facing the profession is the shortage of skilled manpower. Facility managers everywhere are finding it harder to recruit and retain trained staff. From cleaning technicians and HVAC operators to multi-skilled service partners, labour gaps are straining operations and threatening business continuity.
Veterans in the field observe that fear of mistakes holds back new recruits. “People hesitate to take ownership because they fear breaking something,” says an industry expert. But with better tools, smart systems and focused training, these fears can be addressed. Workers feel more confident when they know there is a process in place and support
at hand.
Education, empowerment, and partnership are key. Experts stress the need to reduce the load of low-value tasks so that experienced personnel can focus on higher-skilled work — the kind that brings both fulfilment and retention. When knowledge is concentrated in just one or two hands, it creates institutional risk. Building resilient FM teams means sharing knowledge, mentoring new talent, and designing workflows that allow people to thrive.
While resilience in Facility Management spans systems, infrastructure, and processes, one critical pillar of it is shaped by Human Resources — people.
Staff shortages, lack of skilled technicians, and limited succession planning are pressing challenges in today’s FM environment. These are not just operational hurdles — they are people issues. And they directly influence how resilient a facility or portfolio can be.
Veterans in the field agree: “If your best technician leaves and no one else knows how the HVAC system works, your resilience is compromised.”
This is where HR strategy intersects with FM resilience. Workforce development, upskilling, morale-building, and knowledge transfer are tools HR brings to the table to ensure that operations do not break when people leave, fall sick, or shift roles.
Empowering staff, recognising talent, and creating career pathways also improve retention. When workers feel valued and trained to take on higher-skilled work, they are more likely to stay — and perform at their best.
As experts put it, “You cannot build resilient systems without resilient people. And resilient people come from a culture of support, training, and trust.”
This World FM Day, the spotlight is rightly on the people who work behind the scenes to keep environments safe, efficient and productive. They may not always be visible, but their impact is everywhere.
Resilience in action is not just a theme — it is the daily reality of Facility Management.