By
Rebecca Gibson |
This article was first published in the Autumn/Winter 2016 issue of International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
Finding a way to retain hardworking, reliable and trustworthy crew members is one of the biggest challenges for shipowners, according to Columbia Cruise Services director Olaf Groeger.
“The continued rapid growth of the passenger shipping sector means that there are currently plenty of employment opportunities for seafarers, which makes it even more important that cruise companies and ferry operators take steps to keep their crew safe and happy,” he explains. “To maintain healthy crew retention rates, operators must provide competitive wages and review working conditions, staff welfare and opportunities for career progression on an annual basis. Rather than being solely focused on salary, employment packages should offer social and welfare benefits to crew members, such as regular access to free wifi, support for family travel and training and certification.”
While human resources software has long been used to manage payroll, employee certification and regulatory compliance, new technologies such as the cloud and mobile are helping operators to manage processes for screening, recruiting and deploying employees more efficiently and cost effectively.
“New and advanced communications technologies are making it easier for onshore teams to contact shipboard personnel and manning agents more frequently and at lower costs, regardless of where they are located,” says Groeger. “These technologies have also improved data sharing and collaboration, enabling shipowners to gain better insights into their operations, rosters, crew welfare and individual employee performance. Meanwhile, platforms such as Microsoft Skype for Business are proving particularly useful during crew recruitment and interviewing processes.”
Outsourcing crew management to a ship management company such as Columbia Cruise Services also provides many benefits for cruise operators, claims Groeger.
“Columbia Cruise Services provides tailor-made services that fit with the needs of the crew and vessel, allowing operators to protect the welfare of their employees and passengers, while ensuring they operate at a higher standard than is required by regulatory bodies,” he says. “We can give ship operators access to a large pool of seafarers worldwide and share responsibility for screening and appraisal processes to make it easier for them to hire crew. Plus, we can afford them enhanced purchasing power within maritime crewing markets and access to accredited maritime training centres, which makes it cheaper for them to train and certify staff according to various regulations, including the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers code.”
In addition, Columbia Cruise Services regularly meets with operators to help them resolve crew issues and explore how they can transform their company culture.
“We can develop tailored training programmes for use by employees across an entire company, or by crew onboard a specific ship,” comments Groeger. “Alternatively, we can help to create a career progression model that gives existing crew members the chance to advance up the ranks to become senior officers. Not only does it cut recruitment costs by providing a cheaper alternative to hiring external senior officers, but most importantly, it improves motivation and morale, making them more likely to remain at the company.”