Background
ISS Facility Services provides cleaning and other facilities services to customers through divisions focused on particular market segments. Its Healthcare division needed a General Manager for a hospital contract, reporting to the Divisional Director.
The job was to manage and develop all soft FM services on site, keeping them running within agreed financial parameters, operating procedures and legislation.
The Challenge
A contract general manager is accountable to two parties at once: the service provider and the hospital trust that is the client. The role involved producing a business plan, setting objectives and targets for the contract, and maintaining the trust of the client through regular formal and informal communication.
The people management load was considerable. The General Manager would recruit, induct and train staff, manage absence, discipline and appraisals, monitor turnover and plan succession. On top of that came cost control, minimal wastage, accident and near-miss reporting, risk assessments, and participation in an on-call roster.
A healthcare setting raises the stakes on cleanliness, safety and service continuity. The person needed to operate comfortably within defined limits of authority on purchasing, hiring and pay, while still driving improvement and spotting growth opportunities for the line manager. Leaders with soft services experience in hospitals are in demand.
The contract context added further complexity. The General Manager had to create and sustain effective working relationships with staff, the trust and the wider external environment, while meeting ISO quality commitments, COSHH regulations and equal opportunity policies. It is a role where operational grip and diplomacy are needed together.
Our Approach
- We took a thorough brief on the contract, the scope of soft services and the reporting relationship.
- We approached operational managers from healthcare cleaning, catering and support services contracts.
- We screened for the ability to lead large teams, run a business plan and keep the client confident.
- We guided the process through interview and offer.
The Outcome
Maxwell Stephens made the appointment.
If you are recruiting a contract or general manager in soft services, talk to Maxwell Stephens about how we would find them, and how we would test candidates against the demands of your contract.
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If you are recruiting for a similar role, our team can help you define the brief, reach the right candidates and manage the process through to appointment.