How tiring is to interview people! Usually around five or ten is enough to give you a headache by the end of the day.
All resumes seem great. The majority quite overqualified with minimum, a postgraduate degree. Who is the right one? To find the answer, it:takes two questions to ask?
Do they have the knowledge and the skill?
Do they fit?
Qualifications v. Knowledge
This isn’t the first time, that the candidate has the typical qualifications, most probable from top Universities, but he lacks knowledge. Just ask them what dwt is and you will understand. Do not get this wrong. They might know econometrics or maritime law, but it’s all theory and no practice.
Who is to be blamed?
The graduate is the easy out solution. The institution is to be blamed, and the educational system. It is quite common that, in the last year of the bachelor degree and at postgraduate level, students are taught subjects as strategic management. Just put aside for a while that the jobs for the entry level require little to no creativity, decision-making, or independent judgment. Just concentrate on why do they need the strategic knowledge, when they do not really know how to peak up the phone and reply to a request, or they cannot recall what dwt is? How can you be effective and efficient, if you do not know the basics? To get this one step further, how shipping companies will enhance innovation, which requires core shipping knowledge, but you do not already know the basics?
What employers say
Quite often employers in the shipping claim, that a perfectly qualified candidate is a bad fit.
The reason why candidates are too often screened out, is because they don’t fit a particular pattern. Maybe they have the right skills and experience, but they did something annoying, or something that does not match the company culture. They might ask questions that cannot be answered he might show off, the way they speak, dress, soothing that reflects his personality, or that we presume that reflects their personality.
A good candidate must undertake search
about the company, and ask the right questions to show, that he did his search, and at the same time ask questions to learn about the role, the boss, and the company to assess whether it is the right job.
Let us take the side of the employer now. Has he got the right criteria to avoid screening out a perfectly good candidate, based on the wrong criteria? Is the interviewee given the right chances for his capabilities to be explored? . What the employer realy want to learn is about the canditate’s job relevant knowldge, skills and experience, equally important is the canditate’s personality. That is the value of an interview. To find out the right information using hr techniques within the legal boundaries.
How many shipping companies do you know with HR departments or knowldge to apply techniques? The large companies indeed they have but what about the medium or small?
Employers screen out perfectly good candidates, because they do not understand how to hire people.
If the company cannot spot the perfectly good candidates, the company losses talents whilst the candidate losses a job or a career. Never forget that it takes two to tango.
To enhance your shipping knowledge and skill:
- courses delivered in English: the Crash Course in Advance Crew Management, Certificate in Shipping Business, Certificate in Training the Maritime Trainer
- courses delivered in Greek: Πρόγραμμα για Στελέχη Ναυτιλιακών Επιχειρήσεων (entry level), Πρόγραμμα Διαχείρισης Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού στη Ναυτιλία
Contact us: support@e-wma.com, education@seaworks.uk.com
