Everyone knows the mantra “Happy crew, happy boat” but talent recruitment is frequently cited as one of the biggest issues in the industry. Digital platform Meridian, a software as a service (Saas), aims to speed up and simplify the process, connecting yacht crew with relevant job openings.
A new partnership with ACREW, a global leader in industry networking and market intelligence, will now take this ethos even further. Its new service will eliminate the need to spend countless hours using Facebook, word of mouth and crew databases without getting the results you want and offers a quick and easy way for both employers and job seekers to find the perfect match.
“We are excited to partner with Meridian as it allows us to provide even more opportunities for our network of over 15,000 captains and crew,” said Onno Ebbens, managing director at ACREW. “This partnership reflects our commitment to supporting the career development of superyacht captains and crew and to constantly help improve our industry.”
How can Meridian help me find a role as crew?
The collaboration will offer ACREW members the opportunity to take advantage of Meridian’s job portal, where you can browse a range of available yacht crew positions, then register and apply in under two minutes. The platform uses the latest technology, making it faster and easier for you to find your next job on any device. You can apply for jobs through emails, WhatsApp, or text messaging.
Joining Meridian is completely free of charge for crew. With a quick and seamless signup process, Meridian prides itself in being the favorite platform in the yacht crew recruitment sector due to its efficient and intuitive platform.
“We are the first and only job service in which crew can use text and WhatsApp to receive and apply for jobs,” said Garry Kyle, CEO of Meridian. “Meri, short for Meridian, is our chatbot that sends jobs to crew. After answering a few simple screening questions, they can then apply directly from a text or WhatsApp message.”
How can Meridian help me if I need to recruit crew?
Alongside its offering for yacht crew, Meridian has launched two new platforms to assist yacht crew employers in their recruitment process.
DirectHire
DirectHire is a software to help employers source talent directly. Captains, management companies and other recruiters can use DirectHire to post an open position which is then immediately sent out to thousands of job-seeking crew. What sets DirectHire apart from similar platforms is that each job has a unique set of screening questions to help pinpoint qualified crew and rank applications based on positional experience and percent match. This saves employers’ time and eliminates the need to search and sort through long lists of candidates. According to Kyle, employers receive, on average, 35 qualified candidates in the first 72 hours.
With yacht crew turnover higher than most other industries, crew often need to be replaced with very little notice, and databases and recruiters can set you back approximately $1,500 to $8,000 respectively every time you need a crew member. Meridian’s DirectHire software saves you time and offers an affordable membership, of just $59 per month, so that you have access to a reliable recruitment system right when you need it.
RecruiterCloud
Alternatively, employers can use RecruiterCloud to send out job adverts to the most recognizable crew recruitment agencies around the world. Together on the employer’s behalf, recruitment agents put their best candidates forward for the role.
Using RecruiterCloud is easy—rather than speaking to multiple recruitment agencies in search of the best candidate, the employer must simply call Meridian and tell them which role they want to fill, all in one conversation. With RecruiterCloud, employers are assigned a job manager who performs a role similar to a concierge. The job manager contacts multiple recruitment companies who submit their best three candidates. Not only is this a quick and effective way to source the ideal candidates for the job, but RecruiterCloud is completely free to use—employers simply pay the standard recruitment fee to the winning agency.
“There hasn’t been much innovation in the crew hiring process in over 15 years, until now with our product suite. Our partnership with ACREW allows us to combine our strengths to effectively and efficiently deliver our innovative crew hiring products to the superyacht industry,” Kyle added.
The Meridian and ACREW partnership aims to transform the world of yacht crew recruitment, providing crew members with more job opportunities and employers with quick and effective ways to find the very best talent for their team. Next time your chef quits in the middle of charter, Meridian may well just be able to save the day.
If you’re a yacht crew member seeking a new role, or an employer looking to fill a position quickly on board, contact the team at Meridian today.
Sponsored content created for Meridian