In the last few years, the shipping industry has developed by heaps and bounds. The massive boost in this sector has mainly been contributed by tourism and businesses around the globe. Now, a vast majority of people prefer to travel or transport cargo via ocean liners.
Undoubtedly, shipping businesses are flourishing. While this exponential growth surely brings a huge grin on the owners face, it is essential that they add the required seafarers to their fleet to ensure that they continue to provide quality services to people.
Hiring a new mariner is an extremely vital and time-consuming process for every company. When we talk about a shipping company, time is of the essence. A vessel cannot afford to reach its destination late so as to stay in the good books of their clients.
In order to hire a skilled sailor, you will need to scour through the resumes, conduct interviews, etc., all of which takes a significant amount of time. It can keep you away from other pressing matters related to your business.
If you do not have enough time to go through the hiring process, then you should consider using a Maritime Crew Recruitment Agency to take care of all your hiring needs – but how to be certain that the firm you are partnering with is up for the job?
Do not fret because we have put together a list of tips which will help you to choose the right agency. Let’s take a look at them:
1. Specialization
General recruitment firms are great for organizations which need new employees for a number of roles. However, if your needs are a little more specialized, then you should look for an agency with expertise in your field, which in your case would be onshore and offshore recruitment.
It means that not only you benefit from the recruiters’ knowledge of the market but also gain access to a team of dedicated professionals that understands your needs in relation to skill and experience. An added advantage of specialized recruitment firms is that they often attract better candidates than generic recruitment firms, thus providing you better access to the top talent in the industry.
2. Recruitment and Hiring Strategies
Before arriving at a conclusion, it is crucial that you ask recruitment firms about the hiring strategies they use. The seasoned agencies often employ techniques such as a pre-screening test to ensure that the candidates are as proficient as they claim to be; and when you ask to review such steps, it gives you an insight into the resourcefulness of the onshore and offshore recruitment agency. If you feel like their strategies are not up to the mark, then you should move on to the next firm.
3. Reputation Matters
Just like any other business, public opinion and reputation are paramount in the recruitment industry. It is fairly easy for a company to make tall claims about its hiring skills, but what its clients have to say might be an entirely different story. An agency with a couple of loyal and repeating clients ought to make for a better choice than the one having a ton of clients who never returned.
4. Customer Service
As a client of a reputed recruitment agency, the quality of service that you receive should be nothing short of impeccable. You should not feel confused or abandoned throughout the hiring process, and lines of communication should always remain open. If you are having trouble in reaching someone from the agency — even in the consultation stage — consider it a sign to look in the other direction.
5. The Candidate Pool
At the end of the day, the most important part of a recruitment agency is its candidate pool. The primary goal of a good agency is to match you with the best-suited candidates, but if the agency’s network is small and untested, the services you will get will be less than stellar.
Looking for commendable talent takes significant effort, and internal HR can drill a hole in your pocket. That’s why many ship owners now prefer offshore and onshore recruitment agencies. So, relieve yourself of this additional burden and hire an agency to take care of it!
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