Our CEO and Founder Rebecca Bridger recently hosted the second in our increasingly popular virtual Estates & Facilities (E&F) Management roundtable series. The event brings together E&F and people leaders to share experiences, discuss challenges and explore solutions in a truly open and constructive forum.
This month, we spoke to a diverse group including Directors, Heads of People and Chief Operating Officers. Leaders from wholly owned subsidiaries, integrated care systems, acute Trusts, and health and social care joined from across the country, reflecting on what has been a difficult year and their plans for recovery.
“It's been particularly hard year this year. Probably one of the hardest that I've experienced in the NHS certainly over a number of years. And I was in the thick of the pandemic as well.
There’s lots of different things this year that have accumulated to putting those pressures on the workforce who are absolutely shattered.”
Participants explored the biggest challenges for estates and facilities providers coming out of what some described as an ‘almost perpetual winter’, and the implications of these for their people-based priorities in the financial year ahead.
Key topics that emerged include:
- The workforce are ‘absolutely shattered’ having weathered a ‘perfect storm’ of pressures including sickness, industrial action, rail strikes and rising cost of living
- Leaders face the seemingly impossible challenge of making time to be strategic amid the relentless operational demands of an ageing estate
- Recruitment strategy within a competitive market is high on the agenda
- Inflationary pressures are driving increased salary expectations
- Alongside attracting talent, the focus is equally on retention, engagement and fostering belonging
- Recognition of the criticality of leadership and the need to ‘close the gap’ on people skills
Read more in the Industry Insights from the Hatching Ideas Roundtable.
Please contact our Head of Business Operations Thomas Madden to register your interest in attending our next roundtable.
