Developing the Next Generation of Workplace Professionals

In any field, internships, fellowships and other training opportunities are increasingly seen as a necessary stepping stone to obtain a desirable career. In fact, a recent survey found that 97 percent of employers plan to hire interns and co-ops in 2014.¹ From both the student and employer perspective, these types of training opportunities are invaluable. For the student, they provide an opportunity to gain on-the-job experience and evaluate a potential employer. For the employer, an internship can serve as an opportunity to evaluate potential future employees.

In corporate real estate (CRE) and facilities management (FM) there is a sense of heightened importance around investing in tomorrow’s workplace professionals via these types of programs. There are a number of reasons why this is the case:

• There is an increasing number of jobs available in these areas, yet few young professionals actively choose CRE or FM as a profession or area of study. At the same time, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) reports that the average age of facility managers is 49 — an age when many employees are beginning to plan for retirement.²
• There is a need for greater diversity of talent in CRE, including younger professionals who bring a fresh perspective and new ideas. Yet many CRE careers require more than entry-level experience, and the “gene pool” of talent considered for these roles is typically narrow.
• There is a tremendous interest in real estate and the built environment as a vehicle for improving communities and quality of life, and a corresponding need for professionals with the ability to link the workplace with these other related disciplines.

There are a number of issues facing the industry with respect to growing its workforce and attracting younger workers. First, careers in CRE are typically not well understood among students, and there is a general lack of awareness about the opportunities that this profession offers. Similarly, the opportunities for training and education in this field, while available, are not well-advertised or promoted at colleges and universities. Nor are the programs effectively linked with other related disciplines (e.g., Health Promotion, Environmental Studies), or offered in a cross-disciplinary manner. Finally, in spite of major advances, CRE still suffers from issues around its image value; particularly within younger student populations, the industry is generally not seen as glamorous or exciting.

Internships and early career employment opportunities are an effective way for CRE to make strides in attracting new workplace professionals to the field. Given that CRE is a rapidly growing service line for Sodexo, we are actively committed to this initiative as we have a business imperative to attract new talent. To address some of the challenges discussed above, we created the Future Leaders Internship Program and the Workplace Experience Internship and Fellowship Program.

Both programs provide professional development opportunities to students that result in a broader knowledge base and expanded career options.

These programs also provide exposure to a wide range of crossdivisional activities at the corporate level. In fact, our interns and fellows bring diverse skill sets to the table, and therefore are not strictly relegated to one discipline. Given that the role of the workplace professional has expanded to include a much broader scope of responsibilities and priorities, this coincidence is undoubtedly advantageous. Yet many of our interns and fellows are initially surprised to learn how closely their core area of study intersects with areas that CRE can touch, and how significant a role these professionals can play in affecting today’s workplace and workforce. Herein lies the opportunity for the profession to enhance its image and attract a diverse group of talent to tomorrow’s workforce.

Here, five current and former Sodexo interns and fellows share lessons learned from their workplace experience and how it influenced their decision to pursue a career in CRE.

Rebecca L. Scott, MPH — The Workplace Thought Leader Research Analyst and Communications Specialist with Sodexo
Interested in: Work-Related Quality of Life and Employee Wellbeing
The importance of CRE for today’s workforce: We spend 54 percent of our waking hours at work. I think it’s so important that organizations create a more meaningful and engaging experience in the workplace — one that addresses employees’ full spectrum of need states in a personal way — and CRE professionals play a key role in bringing this experience to life.
Fellowships projects: I implemented a pilot study of a workplace health promotion program, authored numerous thought leadership papers, and assisted with research on Workplace Experience and other work-related quality of life topics.
Future plans: I hope to continue to use research to contribute to thought leadership initiatives pertaining to CRE’s role in fostering improved quality of life for workers, communities and our society.
Predictions for tomorrow’s workplace: I believe that forwardthinking CRE professionals will help create a workplace that supports employees in all aspects of their work and non-work lives, ultimately leading to increased loyalty and engagement and improved organizational effectiveness.

Michele W. Gazica, JD — The Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychologist
4th-year Industrial/Organizational Psychology PhD student at the University of South Florida
Passionate about: Improving Employee Health, Safety and Wellbeing in the Workplace.
Intersection of CRE with area of study: My experience as a former practicing attorney inspired me to pursue a growing subset of I/O psychology — Occupational Health Psychology. Employee health, safety and wellbeing — all of which can be touched by CRE — do not have to suffer in the name of productivity. In fact, the most productive employees are also the happiest, healthiest and most engaged.
Fellowship projects: I authored several whitepapers on workrelated, quality-of-life topics, researched and created a series of infographics on employee motivation and quality-of-life, and offered research expertise on a number of other research and development (R&D) projects.
Future plans: I hope to apply my continued academic research in Occupational Health Psychology to help organizations and CRE professionals appreciate the synergy between productivity and employee health, safety and wellbeing.
Predictions for tomorrow’s workplace: I believe that the division between work and non-work will continue to fade, with more organizations offering new and improved ways to help their employees manage and achieve a better personal balance between both spheres. They must in order to remain competitive.

Austin D. Nichols — The New Face of Facilities Management Facility & Property Management student at Brigham Young University
Passionate about: Change in the Workplace through Facilities Management
The importance of CRE for today’s workplace: The built environment greatly affects how people conduct their business and live their lives. As stewards of this environment, CRE professionals have the important duty to make the workplace an area of innovation and creativity.
Internship projects: I managed the planning, organizing and directing of various capital improvement projects, as well as renovations that have bettered our clients’ quality of life and allowed them to focus more on their core business.
Future plans: I will continue serving and improving the lives of the people that I come in contact with through my career in facilities management after graduation.
Predictions for tomorrow’s workplace: As technology is further integrated into buildings, CRE executives and facility managers will have a better understanding of what needs to be done to improve conditions in the workplace. This will create a work environment in which people will enjoy a better quality of life.

Chris L. Gaines, MPH — The Workplace Wellness Manager Program Manager overseeing Worksite Wellness and Retail Services in the U.S. Federal Government
Interested in: Workplace Health Promotion
Why the workplace matters: As a workplace wellness practitioner, I understand that the workplace offers opportunities for employers to engage employees in health promotion activities that lead to a healthy workforce. A healthy workforce is more engaged and productive, and worksite wellness also contributes to the health of individuals and families
Fellowship projects: I completed a literature review on research related to workplace experiences, and provided assistance with the development of the Workplace Experience Index.
Future plans: I hope to continue to build and strengthen the worksite wellness programming in the Federal Government.
Predictions for tomorrow’s workplace: As evidence continues to show the benefits of workplace wellness programs on worker productivity, health and engagement, these programs will become the norm across all work sectors.

Guilherme Trivellato Andrade, MPH, MBA — The Global Health and Business Scholar
Physical therapist by training, with diversified work experiences as a clinician, professor, entrepreneur and consultant in various health settings
Interested in: Population Health Management and Health Promotion
The importance of CRE in the workplace: Health and wellbeing are heavily determined by the environments in which we live, play and work. By fostering health-enabling workplaces and promoting healthy behaviors among workers, CRE professionals and the organizations they serve can play a major role in avoiding the human and economic costs of preventable diseases.
Fellowship projects: I authored several thought leadership publications on motivation solutions, featured in Sodexo’s 2014 “Workplace Trends Report,” and collaborated on research projects across Business & Industry and Healthcare service lines.
Future plans: I am currently a DrPH Candidate and Centennial Fellow at Harvard School of Public Health. Upon graduating, I hope to facilitate multi-stakeholder collaborations that will create more cohesive, efficient systems and ultimately advance global health.
Predictions for tomorrow’s workplace: As the boundaries between work, life and play continue to fade, quality of life will become fully integrated into the workplace experience. Increasingly, organizational leaders and CRE professionals will approach employee health and wellbeing not only as an imperative to business performance, but as a key to the sustainability of markets and society.

REFERENCES

1. National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2014). Almost 97 Percent of Employers Plan to Hire Interns & Co-ops in 2014 [Press Release]. Retrieved from https://www.naceweb.org/s02192014/ hire-interns-2014.aspx?land-intern-lp-1-spot-hrint-02282014
2. International Facility Management Association (IFMA). (2011). Profiles 2011: Salary and Demographics Report, Research Report #35. Retrieved from http://www.ifma.org/publications/booksreports/ profiles-2011-salary-and-demographics-report-researchreport- 35