30 Steps to Success in the Facilities Management Recruitment Process
Resource type and category
Resource type: eBook / candidate career guide
Category: Facilities Management Careers, Job Search, CV Advice, Interview Advice and Candidate Resources
Intended audience
Facilities Management professionals searching for a new role, candidates preparing for FM interviews, people entering the sector and experienced professionals who want to improve their CV, application and job-search approach.
Resource-card description
Improve your Facilities Management job search with 30 practical tips covering career goals, CVs, applications, recruitment agencies, interview preparation, confidence, follow-up and feedback.
Full resource-page description
Finding the right Facilities Management role is not simply about submitting a CV and waiting for an employer to respond.
A successful job search requires clarity, preparation, persistence and the ability to present your experience in a way that is relevant to the opportunity.
Forshaw’s 30: 30 Steps To Success In The Facilities Management Recruitment Process brings together 30 practical do’s and don’ts designed to help FM professionals navigate the recruitment process more effectively.
The guide is based on recruitment experience within the Facilities Management sector and follows the candidate journey from the earliest stages of deciding what to look for through to interviewing, following up and learning from the outcome.
Define what you are looking for
One of the first recommendations is to establish a clear vision of the role you want before beginning your job search.
Candidates are encouraged to think about factors such as job type and salary expectations so they have a clearer sense of which opportunities are genuinely suitable.
Without that direction, it becomes much harder to decide which vacancies deserve your time and attention.
The guide also encourages candidates to be ambitious while remaining realistic about their experience.
For people entering Facilities Management or moving into a new area of the profession, that may mean being willing to start at a more junior level and build experience before progressing into senior management.
Do not leave your current role too soon
The first of the 30 steps advises candidates not to resign from an existing position solely on the basis of a verbal job offer.
The recommendation is to wait until the new appointment has been properly confirmed before leaving the current role.
It is a simple point, but an important reminder that enthusiasm about a new opportunity should not replace sensible career-management decisions.
Use more than one job-search channel
The guide recommends using several methods to identify opportunities.
These can include job portals, careers events and recruitment agencies, while avoiding the opposite problem of spreading yourself so widely that your search becomes unfocused.
The advice on recruitment agencies is particularly relevant to Maxwell Stephens.
Candidates are encouraged to choose recruitment organisations carefully and work with recruiters they believe can represent their experience properly and genuinely improve their chances of success.
The message is quality as well as quantity.
Take an active approach
The fifth step makes another important point: do not expect jobs simply to come to you.
Candidates are encouraged to actively build contacts, network and put sustained effort into the recruitment process.
The guide presents job searching as something that benefits from consistent activity rather than occasional applications when an interesting vacancy appears.
Make your CV professional and accurate
Several of the 30 steps focus specifically on the CV.
Candidates are advised to ensure their CV is professional, current and free from avoidable errors.
The guide argues that the CV is one of the primary tools for securing an interview, so presentation and accuracy deserve significant attention.
Getting another person to review the document can also help identify mistakes or weaknesses the candidate may have missed.
Tailor your CV to the role
One of the strongest pieces of advice is not to send exactly the same CV for every vacancy.
The guide gives a Facilities Management-specific example: if someone is applying for a Regional Facilities Manager position, a CV dominated by single-site experience may not communicate the right message.
Instead, candidates should highlight experience that aligns with the requirements of the vacancy.
This does not necessarily mean rewriting the whole document for every application.
It means making sure the most relevant responsibilities, achievements and experience are easy for the employer or recruiter to recognise.
Take application forms seriously
Where an employer requires a formal application, the guide recommends giving it the same level of care as the CV.
Application forms can be time-consuming, but a poorly completed form can undermine an otherwise strong candidate.
The advice is to be detailed, accurate and prepared to seek help when necessary.
Make it easy to contact you
The guide also covers a surprisingly basic but essential point: ensure your contact information is clearly presented.
Telephone and email details should be obvious, while the resource also suggests providing a LinkedIn profile where appropriate.
Candidates should not create unnecessary friction for a recruiter or employer trying to invite them to the next stage.
Tailor the supporting message
The resource recommends providing a tailored cover letter alongside applications.
Its broader principle is particularly important: your application should explain why your experience is relevant to this particular role, rather than simply sending the same generic message to every employer.
For a modern website page, I would position this as advice about a tailored supporting statement or cover letter where appropriate, as application processes can vary between employers.
Follow up professionally
Candidates are encouraged not to be afraid of following up on an application.
The guide presents appropriate follow-up as a way of demonstrating genuine interest and ensuring the application has been received.
The emphasis should be on professional, proportionate communication rather than repeated chasing.
Monitor your communications
Another step is to keep a close eye on your inbox—including junk or spam folders.
Employers may contact candidates in different ways, and overlooking an interview invitation can mean losing an opportunity before the process has really begun.
Ask for feedback
Feedback appears more than once in the guide.
Candidates who are unsuccessful at the application stage are encouraged to ask whether any useful feedback can be provided.
The resource recognises that employers may not always be able to give detailed comments at an early stage, particularly where they have received a large volume of applications, but there is still value in asking.
Feedback becomes even more important after interview because it can help candidates identify how to improve for future opportunities.
Do not allow rejection to stop the search
The guide also addresses the emotional side of recruitment.
Not reaching interview stage can be disappointing, but candidates are encouraged not to become disheartened.
One unsuccessful application should not define the wider search, and a candidate who remains active may quickly encounter another opportunity that is better aligned with their experience.
Keep your experience active
For candidates struggling to secure employment, the guide suggests considering voluntary work where appropriate.
The purpose is to keep skills active, demonstrate initiative and reduce potentially unexplained gaps in experience.
The wider lesson is to remain professionally engaged during a prolonged search rather than allowing development and networking activity to stop.
Prepare thoroughly for the interview
The second half of the resource moves heavily into interview preparation.
Step 16 warns candidates against underpreparing.
The guide recommends researching the organisation, understanding what it does and considering how the vacancy fits into the wider business.
This is particularly important in Facilities Management because the same job title can involve very different responsibilities depending on the organisation, property portfolio and operating environment.
Show genuine interest in the organisation
Candidates are encouraged not just to understand the role but to demonstrate genuine curiosity about the employer.
Asking relevant questions and showing an interest in how the organisation works can distinguish a candidate who genuinely wants the position from someone who appears to be applying indiscriminately.
Research who you are meeting
Where candidates know who will be interviewing them, the guide recommends doing some appropriate professional research beforehand.
LinkedIn is identified as a useful source for understanding an interviewer’s professional background.
The objective is not to overstep personal boundaries but to arrive better informed about the people involved in the conversation.
Do not arrive late
Punctuality receives its own step.
Candidates are encouraged to plan the journey in advance and, where necessary, carry out a trial run so they understand the location and likely travel time.
The underlying principle is straightforward: first impressions begin before the interview itself.
Present yourself professionally
The guide also recommends being well presented for the interview.
Although exact expectations around dress can vary between organisations and workplace cultures, the enduring advice is to understand the setting and present yourself in a way that communicates professionalism and respect for the opportunity.
Manage interview nerves
Step 21 recognises that interviews naturally create anxiety.
Preparation is positioned as one of the best ways of increasing confidence.
The guide recommends arriving rested, having researched the organisation and practising beforehand so the candidate can approach the conversation with greater confidence.
Prepare examples
One of the most useful interview recommendations is to have examples ready to support your answers.
Employers do not simply want to hear that a candidate can perform a particular responsibility.
They want evidence that the person has handled similar situations before.
The guide therefore encourages candidates to answer beyond a simple yes or no and demonstrate their capability through previous experience.
For FM candidates, that could mean preparing examples relating to contractors, budgets, compliance, projects, operational incidents, stakeholder management or team leadership depending on the vacancy.
Be confident about your abilities
The guide acknowledges that many people find it uncomfortable to talk positively about themselves.
However, an interview requires candidates to explain what they are good at and why their experience is relevant.
If a candidate undersells themselves, another applicant may communicate similar experience far more convincingly.
Confidence should therefore be grounded in genuine examples rather than unsupported claims.
Pay attention to body language
Body language is also addressed.
The guide encourages candidates to appear open, personable and engaged rather than closed or visibly disengaged.
Together with eye contact, listening and appropriate interaction, non-verbal communication contributes to the overall impression created during an interview.
Prepare questions for the employer
Candidates should arrive with their own questions.
The guide suggests areas such as team dynamics, organisational culture and development opportunities.
Preparing questions demonstrates interest while also helping the candidate gather information needed to decide whether the opportunity is actually right for them.
Follow up after the interview
Step 26 recommends following up quickly after interview.
A brief message thanking the employer for their time and reaffirming interest can reinforce a positive impression.
The important principle is professional follow-through rather than trying to influence the process through excessive contact.
Remember that interviews work both ways
One of the strongest final points is that an interview is a two-way process.
The employer is assessing the candidate, but the candidate should also be deciding whether the organisation, team, culture and position are right for them.
The guide warns against accepting a role simply because an offer exists if the candidate already suspects the position will not suit them.
Maintain relationships if unsuccessful
Candidates are advised not to burn bridges after rejection.
There can be many reasons why someone is not offered a particular position, and a professional response can preserve the relationship for another vacancy in the future.
Thanking the employer and remaining courteous can therefore have value beyond the immediate recruitment process.
Keep building your professional network
The guide recommends maintaining appropriate professional connections after the recruitment process, including through LinkedIn.
Even where an interview does not result in an offer, the people involved may become useful professional contacts later in a candidate’s career.
Learn from feedback
The final step returns to feedback.
Candidates who are unsuccessful after interview are encouraged to ask what they could have done differently and use that information to improve future performance.
That creates a useful final message for the resource: a successful FM job search is an iterative process.
Every application, conversation and interview can improve the candidate’s approach to the next opportunity.
Our position in the market is deliberately specialist rather than volume-driven.
