Staff in the shipping industry are more likely than ever to seek new positions due to a perception they are not valued, according to a new survey.
Research by Halcyon Recruitment, Diversity Study Group (DSG) and training company Coracle Maritime reveals nine in 10 workers want their bosses to do more for them.
The companies' 11th annual maritime employee survey has been carried out among more than 1,300 employees.
"Our research reveals some trends which should worry the industry at any time, but particularly now when we rely more than ever on an engaged, motivated workforce," said Halcyon Recruitment chief executive officer Heidi Heseltine, who is also co-founder of DSG.
"There is a lot of speculation about the long-term impact of the pandemic on our workplaces and working lives, but it is already clear that employees are looking for more than a return to 'business as usual'."
She said staff are increasingly willing to move to find that.
"This should be a clear incentive for employers to consider what changes they can make to support their teams, including meaningful action on inclusivity and diversity, greater flexibility and more support for learning and development," Heseltine said.
Only 60% of employees cite their company culture as being one where they feel supported in the workplace, and 90% would like their employer to do more to create an environment where everyone feels valued and able to contribute.
Looking around
The survey also revealed that 55% of employees are actively seeking a new role and a further 39% are open to offers. This translates into just 6% of employees being committed to their current role.
In terms of diversity, 52% of those who responded have been aware of discrimination in the industry but, perhaps surprisingly given the industry’s recent focus on gender balance, gender discrimination does not top the list.
The most commonly cited areas of concern over discrimination were nationality (60%), followed by age (41%), gender (37%) and ethnicity (32%).
The survey results also suggest a keen appetite for learning and development.
The commitment and resilience of shipping employees around the globe has been widely reported and much praised during the Covid-19 crisis
Heidi Heseltine
Three-quarters of participants would like to have a defined development plan to help understand what they need to do to carry out their roles better.
Vessel operators rank highest on 81% in this regard. The authors of the survey suggested this was a perhaps a contributing factor as to why so many in this segment (60%) are actively looking for new employment.
Less than half of respondents (48%) have had at least one meaningful conversation about their personal development with their line manager in the six months preceding completion of the survey.
"The commitment and resilience of shipping employees around the globe has been widely reported and much praised during the Covid-19 crisis," Heseltine added.
"It is widely recognised that an overnight change occurred for most employees, requiring immediate adaptation to remote working and new technologies; both areas where the shipping industry has lagged behind many other industries."
