The future FM workforce will need more than AI training. It will need adaptive capability.
This theme aligns directly with the Knowledge Café question on workforce and skills of the future, which asked how FM teams future-proof talent to work effectively with AI through upskilling, reskilling and new recruitment strategies.
Participant notes suggest that AI capability is not simply about teaching people how to use a tool. It is about building confidence, curiosity, experimentation, knowledge transfer, leadership behavior and new ways of working.
AI will change how FM work is performed, but it will not remove the need for FM judgment, context, experience and human decision-making. FM professionals will need to understand how to work with AI outputs, question recommendations, interpret data, identify risk and translate insight into action. They will also need to know when not to rely on AI.
This reflects the central message of The Rise of the FM Analyst: the future FM professional is not defined only by a job title, but by a mindset that combines curiosity, data confidence, problem-solving, storytelling and cross-functional thinking. The 2024 Executive Summit report also identified skills, change leadership and technology confidence as critical to successful FM technology adoption.
This matters because many FM teams are already stretched. If AI is introduced without support, it could create anxiety, resistance or uneven adoption. If it is introduced with the right capability-building, it can help teams become more effective, more confident and more strategic.
FM leaders should approach AI workforce development as a long-term capability-building process, not a one-time training activity.
A practical starting point is to assess the current level of AI confidence across the FM team. Some employees may already be experimenting with AI, while others may be unsure, skeptical or concerned. Understanding this variation will help leaders design the right support.
A useful workforce capability plan could include the following elements:
The most effective learning will come when employees can apply AI to real FM tasks, such as service requests, reporting, asset planning, maintenance prioritization, space analysis, communication, or sustainability tracking.
The fourth theme shows that AI-enabled FM depends on adaptive human capability. Participants recognized that training matters, but they also emphasized experimentation, confidence, leadership behavior, knowledge transfer, recruitment and reassurance.
The future FM workforce will not be defined by technical skill alone. It will be defined by the ability to learn, adapt, question, experiment and work confidently with AI.
International Facility Management Association (IFMA) supports over 26,000 members in 140 countries. Since 1980, IFMA has worked to advance the FM profession through education, events, credentialing, research, networking and knowledge-sharing.
