How to Become a Facilities Manager: The Skills, Qualifications & Digital Tools You Actually Need

Daniel Hughes, Facilities Manager at a 61-unit industrial estate, joins the Comparesoft Facilities Management Podcast to share how he broke into the FM profession without a degree or traditional career path.

Drawing on a career that started with forklift driving and street wardening before a mentor and an IOSH qualification opened the door, Daniel explains what the transition into facilities management really involves, where communication skills matter more than formal qualifications, and how treating contractors and tenants as partners shapes better outcomes across the board.

In this episode, Daniel talks about:

• The non-traditional route into facilities management and why practical experience builds the strongest foundation

• Why 70% of an FM’s job is communication and relationship management, not technical work

• How face-to-face conversations and a tenant newsletter prevent issues from escalating

• What ‘good’ looks like when evaluating contractors — and why attitude matters more than price

• Why landscaping is arguably a higher priority than security on an industrial estate

• The FM tools and workflows he relies on, and where they break down