When it comes to Captain recruitment, a significant percentage of the time, the answer I get to ‘when do you need them by?’ is – you got it – ‘as soon as possible’!
There are, of course, several challenges with this, mainly the lack of available and suitable candidates in such a short timeframe, but also the effectiveness of leadership compatibility and a more harmonious onboard experience moving forward.
So, in this blog, I want to talk about the benefits of early planning, as well as reanalysing what ASAP really means to you and situations where there could be short-term compromises for long-term gains.
How soon is as soon as possible?
In all of the scenarios where I get told a Captain is needed ASAP, I can honestly say that is only true in about 50% of cases. This, for example, could be when the exiting Captain has walked off (or had to leave abruptly) mid-season ahead of a busy charter – and I’ll talk briefly about notice etiquette shortly.
However, in the other 50% of Captain recruitment cases, ASAP turns out to be at least a month.
When it is more like a month, I feel like there is room to convince a yacht to stretch to five, or even six weeks, so we can allow for a decent candidate to complete the interview process and hand in their notice.
It only works out this way if the stars align though, and by this, I mean how quickly the client can provide a detailed brief, what areas/characteristics will they compromise on, how many layers to the recruitment process are there, and how many people involved and how soon can they provide feedback?
There will be other options for pushing back the start date too, to ensure you have as much time as possible to find the right candidate, and I urge you to do that wherever possible.
Options for short or no notice
If the Captain provides the minimum amount of notice and a suitable replacement is not immediately available, it’s not always the end of the world.
If the yacht is, for instance, sitting in a marina or shipyard, one option can be to promote the Chief Officer to cover the time it takes to appoint a new Captain. Or, if the vessel needs to be relocated then a delivery captain can be brought in until the new Captain is found.
None of these scenarios impact the owners’ enjoyment of their yacht, however they certainly provide the time required to appoint a suitable permanent Captain for the yacht.
It’s sometimes better to find a temporary solution while the perfect fit can be found.
I think it’s sometimes better to find a temporary solution while the perfect fit can be found, rather than rushing into appointing a Captain who’s clearly not compatible or competent to run the vessel – which will only lead to higher crew turnover and cost to the owner.
What you don’t want is an owner who suddenly takes this change of Captain as a reason to change other things – like rotational set-up, or (and) default to a single full-time Captain, which is disastrous for the remaining Captain and possibly the entire crew.
The downsides to a last-minute approach
You may strike it lucky and find that amazing Captain who is currently between jobs and available immediately but taking this approach will certainly limit your options and increase stress levels as the start date looms.
The reality is, the new incoming Captain will be employed out of necessity, not out of choice. It also increases the likelihood they will not receive a proper handover which only leads to frustration, the leadership loses its fluidity, and HODs end up briefing the incoming Captain on what they should already know (potentially with their own opinions which may not align with those of the outgoing Captain, or the owner).
I’ve seen it so often and it’s setting up the incoming Captain to fail. That new Captain then leaves or is pushed through no fault of their own and a tricky situation has now become a huge long-term problem for the yacht program and owner.
The benefits of early planning
By starting the Captain recruitment process early, you will have the best chance of success as the majority of great Captains will be currently employed and required to give notice.
For clarity, there are always great Captains who are unemployed. But if you want, for example, an experienced Captain, who has previously been on 80m+ yachts, with charter experience plus the owner’s other preferences you will only find one or two immediately available. There will be more suitable candidates who are employed.
Also, those employed Captains will need to take some time off between jobs, re-charge the batteries, and in most cases, spend time with their loved ones, take a family holiday and so forth.
With all of the above added together, that can easily take the timeframe to 2-3 months from the date the offer is accepted!
The period from initial search to owner interview and final selection can take at least one month too, possibly more depending on the layers involved in the process as mentioned above, so time can go much faster than you think. Most of my Captain recruitment takes at least four weeks from initial contact.
So, if you have the luxury of time and know a change or new posting is planned, you should begin the recruitment process at least three months (if not more) prior to the ideal start date.
This also increases the chances of the current Captain being able to provide a decent handover, which is crucial in my opinion.
Great Captains provide a good amount of notice
It’s very important for Captains to leave a yacht on good terms so those employed will want to complete their current rotation if they are onboard and give their contractual notice as an absolute minimum.
This change will most likely be met with disappointment by the owner, but chances are they will respect the Captain’s decision and reasons for moving on and be happy to resume operations as they are.
Whilst they may or may not openly display their appreciation for your kind intentions, it will certainly increase your chances of receiving a favourable reference which will increase your chances of securing that next dream job.
And a top tip – if you are the exiting Captain, it can be beneficial to present a couple of good replacement options to the owner, who you think would be compatible and do a good job. This shows you have not only thought about the resignation process, but the owner’s continued enjoyment of their yacht after you have gone.
So if you missed the crux of this blog, it’s this – Captain recruitment requires careful consideration and planning. Taking the time to find a Captain who is not only available and compatible for their counterpart, but also the right fit for the owner’s needs, ensures smoother operations with minimal disruption to the yacht’s schedule which benefits everyone.
