We caught up with Joe Glendon, Associate Director in our public sector FM team, to reflect on his first three months at MRG.
With over a decade of recruitment experience and a strong track record of delivering senior FM appointments across the higher education, public, and not-for-profit sectors, Joe has made a significant impact since joining us.
In this conversation, Joe shares his perspective on FM recruitment in the UK, highlights from a recent senior campaign, and what he’s looking forward to as he continues to grow his presence in the sector with MRG.
You joined MRG with over a decade of experience in recruitment. What drew you to the public sector FM space?
The opportunities to partner with organisations that have a social purpose interested me, as I knew that bringing something different to the market would resonate with candidates in a way that is distinct from roles focused on driving bottom-line profit. It also allows me to play a small role in helping organisations with social purpose to achieve their goals and objectives. The public sector space is constantly evolving too, and there are always interesting developments to keep on top of, whether that be general/local elections, Brexit or the pandemic, as just a few examples that have a significant impact on public sector estates.
You’ve recently led the recruitment campaign for the Group Head of Asset Management (M&E) at London South Bank University. What insights did you gain from working with LSBU?
What I’ve found interesting about working with LSBU is understanding and learning how much of a pivotal role LSBU is playing in one of the biggest regeneration schemes in London. The presence and reputation of LSBU in the region have helped to attract development and investment across the Elephant & Castle region, and roles such as this one are crucial to ensuring that the university has a safe, well-maintained and functioning estate that puts them in good standing with the local community.
Looking ahead, are there any upcoming campaigns or trends in the public and not-for-profit FM sector that you’re particularly excited about or think clients should be preparing for?
Smart Building Technology BMS is continuing to evolve, and AI is undoubtedly going to play a more significant role in how estates are managed, providing data to leadership that allows them to make strategic and operational decisions. Inevitably, it’s going to be crucial for people in leadership to not only be aware of opportunities that are available for them to adopt but also to be prepared to adopt some of this technology, as there could be a risk of being left behind given how quickly things are evolving in this space. There could be significant cost-saving benefits and enhanced sustainability benefits to adopting AI in the right way, so leaders will absolutely be expected to know how to take advantage of such opportunities.
In your first three months at MRG, what has stood out to you about our approach to recruitment, and how does it align with your values around client and candidate experience?
The level of detail that goes into our marketing brochures is so well-received by both candidates and clients. Candidates routinely tell me that they are the best candidate packs in the market (I agree!) and it’s telling them that our clients are really invested in the recruitment process and it’s allowing us to represent our clients in the best possible way. They also underpin that it’s a partnership between MRG and themselves. I think this also enhances the candidate experience as we are providing them with detail that goes above and beyond a JD, which helps them to get more of a cultural feel for an organisation.
You’ve worked with a wide range of public sector organisations. What do you think makes a successful FM leader in this space today, and how do you identify those qualities during a search?
I believe that understanding the experiences and needs of your stakeholders who use your estate is crucial. They need to have regular interactions with stakeholders outside of their immediate team to truly comprehend these needs and expectations, and ultimately deliver on them. In a search process, I’ll always ask an FM leader who their working relationships are with outside of their immediate team and what are the hot talking points between them and what they are being challenged on. A successful FM leader will usually have quite a lot to say on this!
Contact Joe Glendon to learn more about MRG’s FM specialism, current hiring trends, and the latest opportunities.