Few employees have more of an impact on the day-to-day operations of your business than your office manager. Whether it’s scheduling travel arrangements, ordering supplies or planning a birthday party, your office manager touches every part of your business. And while he or she genuinely appreciates the occasional meeting “shoutout” or $50 gift card, what your office manager really wants are tools to make their job easier. Office automation tools to the rescue. These apps and online services will have them getting more done with less effort.
Employee Scheduling Apps
Many companies now offer employees the option to work from home or a more flexible work schedule. That’s great for the employees, but keeping track of these hybrid schedules has made it harder on your office manager. Workforce management tools like Robin let office managers control and track which employees require office access and what resources they need. Management platforms take the burden off the office manager’s hands by automating the process, letting employees book their own desks and rooms when needed.
Project Management Software
Office managers wear many hats and manage many projects, and keeping up is a daunting task. Make it easier by getting your office manager some handy project management software. These helpful online tools not only let users track the progress of multiple projects, they also allow collaboration with project team members. PM apps like Trello or Asana are good options, but there are many more out there. Both apps have freemium pricing plans, which puts limits on features like the number of collaborators, but managers at least get to try them out at no cost..
Social Media Management
Does your office manager oversee all your social media pages? Then they need a social media management platform. Apps like Hootsuite are great for managing multiple accounts at once like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter while others like Tailwind work well for specific platforms. With most apps, you can schedule posts, create ads and run analytics on your traffic. Some even alert you when someone mentions your company online. Social management apps are low cost and well worth the time saved.
Travel Planning Software
Even travel bookings and management are a part of today’s automated office. And with lockdowns and flight cancelations a regular hurdle, it helps to have a tool to manage last minute changes. Apps like TravelPerk or TripActions simplify travel bookings, letting your employees schedule their own flights, lodging and transport from their smartphones. Your travel data is centralized and checked, so you know exactly what’s happening at all times. Plus, most travel apps integrate with your expense account software, which streamlines the approval process. Look for time-saving features like platform AI that reschedules canceled or delayed flights automatically. These apps cut down planning time while improving transparency between managers and employees.
Automated Employee Gifting
Any office manager will tell you that recognizing birthdays, new babies and working anniversaries take time to plan and execute. But you can offload that task with employee gifting services like Evabot or Gifted.co. These services make sending employee gifts as simple as a few mouse clicks, and, like most automated platforms, they help manage and centralize all your purchases into one place. So, you’re making your CFO happy too! Employee recognition helps you retain valuable employees, so it’s a critical part of your business. But saying “Thank you!” doesn’t have to include the cost of your manager’s time.
After-Hours AC Automation
When your employees need to schedule after-hours electricity or HVAC on the weekends, it’s likely your office manager’s job to record and schedule it with your landlord—just another spreadsheet they need to manage. Apps like 7NOX automate utility scheduling by letting employees book their own after-hours air conditioning via their mobile phone. The app also cuts down on billing errors by accurately recording each booking’s date, time and duration. No more misunderstandings with your facilities manager or disputed charges. Plus, your office manager can trash their spreadsheet.
Tenant satisfaction surveys help you spot problem areas with your properties and services, but some facility managers put off creating and administering them because of time restraints. But it only takes a few minutes to create an effective tenant questionnaire if you follow these steps.
Download Free Survey Template
Building a tenant survey should only take around 15 mins max, and it’s free if you use Google Forms. Here’s a free survey template 7Nox designed specifically for commercial property owners. It contains questions around maintenance, property condition and customer service. But you can customize the template to suit your needs. Here’s how to use it:
Click the link above.
Choose to “Make a copy” of the template.
Open the template copy from your Google Drive (you will need a Google account).
Add your property name and photo (optional) in the heading.
Change, add or remove questions to fit your needs.
Voila! You’re ready to email your customized opinion poll to your tenants and gain some powerful feedback. Here’s a getting started guide if you’re new to Google Forms.
Survey Tips
The more participation, the more accurate your picture of your properties. As with most surveys, people who actually take the time to fill one out are usually either big fans or disgruntled. But getting only 5 stars and 1 star reviews is less constructive than a healthy chunk of middle-of-the-road opinions. So, follow these guidelines to raise the participation rate of your tenant satisfaction survey.
Brevity Helps
Few people enjoy filling out satisfaction surveys, but keeping your survey short increases participation. Add as many questions as you need to get the info you want, but stop there. Combine multiple ideas into one question. For example, ask one question about all your amenities, don’t draft a question for each. If you’re interested in getting feedback on a single amenity (e.g., workout room), then draft a separate survey.
Offer a Carrot
Offering free gift cards or other enticements increases tenant participation. It may seem like bribery, but at some point the value of more tenant input outweighs the cost. That is, if identifying problems and making tenants happy results in at least one re-sign, it will likely be worth the outlay.
Optimize Timing
Schedules vary, but try and survey tenants when they have a little extra time, maybe before a holiday or Friday afternoon. More people will fill it out if they have a moment. Aim for one survey a year, and send it out near the beginning. Also, avoid surveying new tenants and those about to leave. Newcomers have too little experience to be valuable, while those leaving have little stake in the outcome and are less likely to fill one out anyway. Finally, get someone to take your survey before you send it out to tenants.
Art Linkletter summed up professional development perfectly when he said “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out.” Adapt or perish is the mantra for today’s professionals, and so much so for facilities managers who must adjust to a post-COVID workplace, BMS automation and sustainability among other growing trends. Luckily, the internet offers plenty of opportunities for busy FMs looking to expand their skills and adapt. Here are the best online continuing ed resources for FMs in 2021.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn’s relatively new online learning platform, LinkedIn Learning, has enough facility management courses to fill the entire year. LinkedIn Learning is $39.99 NZD per month or take advantage of the free 30-day trial. Here are a two courses sure to be popular in 2021:
“Facilities Management: Social Distancing and PPE”— This course tackles relevant post-COVID challenges like how to change the way people enter buildings, proper placement of hygiene stations and how to avoid cross contamination.
“Leading Projects”— Cross-functional projects involve being able to structure teams and plans effectively. This course teaches how to define the scope, investigate options, select a course of action and execute a plan.
International Facility Management Association (IFMA)
Eco-friendly buildings and sustainability are now an integral part of the FM profession. That’s why we recommend the IFMA’s “Sustainability Facility Professional” certification program for FMs who want to stay ahead of the curve. The online course teaches how to bring more efficiency, data-driven decision-making and sustainable practices to their clients’ properties. The certification is self-paced and has several prerequisite courses, so it’s perfect for IFMA members who are already certified in FM introduction courses. Visit the IFMA site for more info.
Massey University (NZ)
Massey Uni offers two diplomas in facilities management available through distance learning. The Diploma in Facilities Management (DipFM) is built for new FM professionals just entering the industry who want to strengthen their skills with foundational knowledge, while the Graduate Diploma in Facilities Management (GradDipFM) is aimed at professionals holding a non-FM related tertiary qualification, such as engineering, commerce or science. Both courses are one year full-time, but can be completed part-time. Also, both offer the option to exit at Certificate level on completion of four papers.
Vector Solutions
Training site Vector Solutions has an extensive catalogue of online courses to benefit every level of facility management. If you’re looking for maintenance certification, Vector Solutions’ facilities maintenance courses are specifically created for technicians and building engineers, and they have certification tracks for commercial, industrial or both. FMs needing more general professional development resources can find over 220 classes on leadership, finance, compliance, time management, communication and sexual harassment. Check out Vector Solutions full catalogue of FM training courses.
BOMI Webinars
BOMI International has partnered with online education service Lorman to create a series of live webinars for 2021. These e-Seminars get FMs up to speed on current issues “International Business Codes” and Workplace Bullying/” Fees average around $200 and attendees can add a downloadable recording for future reference. Visit the Lorman website for a complete listing of live webinar topics, times and dates.
Whether you’re leasing a small two-bedroom or multi-level high-rise, tenant satisfaction is critical to your bottom line. When tenants are happy, they tend to lease longer. This maintains consistency in your properties and lowers your exit costs. But what really makes a happy tenant? It can be more complicated than you think. Savvy property managers and owners use tenant satisfaction studies, along with their own surveys, to zero in on what’s important to their tenants. Here are three ways to start improving your overall tenant satisfaction straight away.
1. Help Them Become More Sustainable
Interest in green working spaces is growing in tenants all around the world. Surveys show that building sustainability advice is as high a priority for tenants as advice on health and safety. Your renters want to do their part to conserve energy while providing a safe workspace for their employees. Plus, everyone saves money in the process. Here are some things to try:
Keep your tenants informed about new construction and invite their input.
Create a forum on your portal for regular contributions on sustainability.
Make sustainability a regular part of your building meetings with tenants.
Use an automated billing app to give them more control over their energy consumption.
Email them guides on building sustainable office spaces.
Regularly post recycling program reminders to your social media sites.
2. Update Your Tenant Communication Plan
Experts recommend you review and update your tenant communications program every 12 months to ensure it’s meeting your tenants’ needs. To effectively evaluate your plan, ask questions like:
Is the right person in charge of managing the plan?
Is your plan easily accessible by you and your tenants?
Are you updating your plan regularly?
Do you have all the components you need?
Can you measure the effectiveness?
Regular evaluation ensures your tenant communication plan is up-to-date. Take advantage of technology by employing a multi-channel approach that includes email, phone, text and social media. Unprecedented events like COVID-19 have pushed the emergency component of comms plans to the forefront, as property managers work with governments to ensure public safety. Annual plan audits will ensure you’re prepared.
3. Sort Maintenance Requests Fast
Resolving maintenance issues quickly isn’t just good building management, it also makes your tenants happy. Nothing is more frustrating than working around a faulty light, broken door or unreliable internet. While most renters understand that things happen beyond the landlord’s control, that doesn’t absolve you from doing your due diligence.
Even if it’s a small issue, get to the problem as soon as possible—it may not be a “small” problem for your renter. Today, it’s easier than ever to locate one-off contractors and handyman services from online services like Angie’s List or MyGuy. In the long run, hiring a contractor will likely be worth the cost if it results in a satisfied tenant.
These three suggestions highlight two key aspects of tenant satisfaction: information and control. Remember, your tenants have to factor your building management, administration and technology into their own business decisions. Unreliable internet service, late notices about lift outages or a confusing tenant payment process all affect their ability to plan and respond as an organization. Keep better information and more control as end goals in your decision making, and you’ll always ensure that your tenant satisfaction improves.
