The maritime industry ebbs and flows just like the sea itself. There have been challenges lately with finding qualified employees to take on your marine industry positions. You need access to great talent right now, so where do you start looking? If you’re spending more time searching for talent and less focusing on your shipbuilding business, here are some tips that can get you out of the recruiting loop.
The Challenges of Hiring Top Talent
Experts in the industry have identified some labor challenges. They include a lack of training for specialized skills, production mistakes made by unskilled workers, the cost of doing work over, safety hazards from inadequately trained workers, challenges finding individuals with specific skills for remote worksites, and a national shortage of skilled trades workers. Finding talent is more complicated than ever for your shipyard or marine industry positions. So what can you do? Preparation is key.
The Seasonal Nature of Maritime Recruitment
Understanding the seasonal nature of maritime recruitment will be necessary for planning. Knowing what season is prime for hiring in your area will be important in creating your hiring strategy. The gulf coast has more temperate climates throughout the year, but understanding the seasonal effect will give you a leg up.
Upskilling Your Current Staff and the Community
Tapping into your current employees is one of the smartest investments you can make. It’s much easier to hire entry-level workers than replace the insider knowledge your current team has at their fingertips. Providing training on technology and advanced techniques. Offer opportunities in your community for unskilled labor to learn on the job.
Specialized Talent Pools
When you need specialized talent, knowing where to look is essential. When competing for these resources, hiring pipefitters or welders at scale can be challenging. Tapping into specialized talent pools through recruiters in the area can help you bring these skills on board faster.
Working with an Experienced Maritime Recruitment Partner
One of the best resources you have available to you is a recruitment partner in the marine industry. They have expansive networks to pull from and can work with you to develop a hiring strategy that works for your processes. They can find top talent and support placements through safety training and continued assistance.
Do you want to reduce the time to hire maritime workers? Contact Hutco to learn more today.
