Recruiting Smart For The Best Talent On Yachts & Shoreside
Liam Dobbin
Managing Director at Wilsonhalligan Recruitment Recruiting Yachting's best Captains
I had two great calls with Captains yesterday, they wanted to see if they are competitive in the market with what they offer as a package. They updated us on when they will have hires in the next few months as they complete a refit and a build near launch.
They have the luxury of time, which is not common in yachting. A normal example could be someone resigns giving 30 days notice, you look via your sources for a few days then speak with us. This gives us at best a 15-day window to pre-screen, reference check, submit, have them interviewed, and have them join. Worst case is someone is off the?same day and a hire is needed within 24/48 hours. You will never get the best fit, only who is available last minute. However, if you know someone is leaving at the?end of a rotation or season, you must plan ahead.
Shoreside companies operate retained recruitment whereby you pay upfront for recruitment needs. This engages the recruitment company to prioritise and send the?best options to you first. We tried this model in yachting and could not make it work with the yacht in question however it is the best option for shoreside roles. If you are a shoreside company looking to scale, you should be open to getting CVs speculatively from your recruitment partner, and work retained recruitment when you have roles. We as a recruitment business know who is quietly looking to move jobs and who is quietly looking to expand their business.
Over 2024 we have seen growth within management companies, some of which have engaged us with the brief ‘send us who you think fits us’. This proactive action means your business may not get someone who comes on the job market. Contact me or our shoreside recruitment team if you want to discuss this.
Several yachts we deal with are very proactive, they say “if you get a great option for us, do send them and we’ll keep on file”. This great option for someone who matches the profile and culture for the yacht. This recruitment style means they are always sourcing talent best for the operation over best for right now.
Plan and recruit fast – you will miss the best next crew member or employee if you do not move on someone you are interested in and who is interested in you. Being proactive and working closely with your recruitment partner will get you the best option for either building a crew on a superyacht or scaling your shoreside business.
Chief Operating Officer at dsnm Ltd - Specialising in Superyacht Navigational Management
1 周I listened to a podcast not so long ago where the guests were discussing just this and one person said "hire slow, fire fast" to save your business wasting time on unsuitable people and this stuck with me as pretty good advice which supports the idea behind your post. If you are hiring last minute, would you take on someone who isn't necessarily a good fit because you need to fill the role... possibly!
CEO at Meridian Go LLC
1 周Valid points Liam