A survey commissioned by maritime recruitment agency Faststream has highlighted the growing difficulty faced by ship managers and operators to retain talent.
The Superintendent Report 2023, which has just been published by the Southampton, UK, based firm, notes the growing pressure on businesses to improve salaries and benefits while accommodating flexible working patterns.
Surveying marine superintendents from around the world, it was found that while three quarters of those questioned had received a payrise during the previously year – and these showed a notable increase since the previous iteration of the report a year earlier – it remained more lucrative to change jobs. Fifty percent of job movers had received an increase in pay of 10% or more, compared to 18% of those who had stayed loyal to their employer.
Bonus payments also showed a small increase on the previous year, particularly for those in the Middle East and Africa region, however only a quarter of these was a loyalty bonus, despite four out of five of those questioned indicating this would be an attractive incentive for remaining with their current employer.
Tellingly, 40% of those surveyed said that their bonuses and other entitlements weren’t communicated to them, something the report says raises questions about how employees should be expected to value them. Only 28% of those questioned said they felt ‘very valued’ by their employer, compared to 41% the previous year.
The post-Covid fallout in changing working styles was also reflected, with just 44% of superintendents working full-time in the office, whereas 44% have a hybrid working arrangement. Forty percent of those questioned said they would decline a job offer that didn’t entail working at home for at least one day per week.
Three quarters of those questioned stated that work-life balance was more important to them than salary, although salaries and benefits remain the primary motivation for seeking a new job. Singapore, Dubai, London, Hamburg, Athens, Copenhagen and Rotterdam scored highest as the most attractive maritime hubs by superintendents.
The full report can be accessed here.
