JLL, IFMA Collaboration Drives FM Retention, Career Growth | Professional Development

Through a strategic collaboration, more than 1,700 JLL professionals have completed the International Facility Management Association’s (IFMA) comprehensive Facility Management Professional™ (FMP®) program globally, with additional participants completing Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP) and Essentials of FM.

IFMA’s FMP program builds relevant core competencies and skills that facility management professionals need to develop their workplaces. Since it began in 2023, the initiative has demonstrated a measurable business impact, including more than 1,700 employees already completing the two-year program with more enrolled and delivered both a 2% increase in promotion rates and a nearly 14% improvement in retention rates for FMP-certified employees.

“Our relationship with IFMA will enable our facilities management teams to deliver industry-leading expertise that helps clients achieve their evolving business objectives,” said Cheryl Carron, Chief Operating Officer of Work Dynamics Americas and President of JLL’s Healthcare Division. “Our professionals need adaptable training that equips them with cutting-edge tools to meet growing demand and navigate emerging career paths. This collaboration creates extensive opportunities for professional development and career advancement — critical components for attracting top facilities management talent.”

JLL IFMA facility management, facility manager — *^{(Photo: Adobe Stock / Yuri Arcurs/peopleimages.com)}*

JLL’s two-year program evolved from initial discussions in 2020 into a fully integrated Business-as-Usual (BAU) model that balances global consistency with regional adaptation. The scalable approach incorporates custom reporting frameworks, flexible licensing arrangements and dedicated support staff to ensure sustained engagement and completion success across JLL’s global operations.

The program’s improvement in retention rates comes at a critical time for the commercial real estate industry, which continues to face significant workforce challenges amid ongoing labor shortages and increased competition for skilled professionals. According to JLL’s Global State of Facilities Management 2025 report, half of respondents cited the scarcity of candidates with the required skills as a key challenge in sourcing talent. With facility management roles requiring increasingly specialized expertise to meet evolving client demands around sustainability, technology integration and workplace experience, retaining top talent has become a strategic imperative.

“By creating a scalable, globally consistent training framework, we’re not just building credentials – we’re building careers and reinforcing our position as the industry leader in facilities management excellence,” said Paul Morgan, Global Chief Operating Officer of Real Estate Management Services, JLL. “The evolution from pilot to BAU demonstrates that when you combine strategic vision with operational discipline, you can transform how an entire profession develops and grows. Our work with IFMA exemplifies JLL’s commitment to investing in our people and delivering exceptional client outcomes through expertise.”

JLL’s investment in comprehensive professional development and credentialing not only enhances employee capabilities but also demonstrates the company’s commitment to career advancement, creating a value proposition that helps attract and retain the industry’s best professionals. In an environment where skilled facility managers are in high demand, providing clear pathways for professional growth and recognition through industry-recognized certifications like the FMP designation has proven to be a key differentiator in JLL’s talent strategy.

The initiative features JLL-based IFMA trainers across FMP, SFP and Essentials of FM programs, creating internal expertise that drives ongoing success. JLL continues to evolve the program, with plans to expand credentialing offerings and deepen integration into the company’s talent strategy.

“Today’s facility managers are strategic partners who are critical in shaping the employee experience and workplace culture,” said Sanjay Rishi, Americas CEO, Work Dynamics, JLL. “They’re responsible for creating environments that not only optimize costs but also inspire collaboration and well-being. The FMP designation identifies professionals who combine cutting-edge facility management expertise with the leadership skills needed to drive real organizational impact.”

JLL’s dedication to professional development has been recognized industry-wide, with the firm receiving the IFMA George Graves Award for Facility Management Achievement in both 2023 and 2024. Additionally, JLL has contributed funding to the IFMA Foundation’s Global Workforce Initiative (GWI) since 2020 to attract diverse talent to careers in FM, while supporting their long-term growth through training opportunities.

“Reaching more than 1,700 facility management professionals in such a short time highlights the effectiveness of this strategic collaboration,” said IFMA President and CEO Michael V. Geary, CAE. “Together with JLL, we’re proving that investing in professional training leads to measurable results — higher retention, stronger promotion pipelines and a more capable FM workforce worldwide.”