Pompano Beach: The inexorable rise of the offshore business as traditional shipping has slumped has brought about a potentially troublesome HR problem, says a leading recruitment specialist.
Jack Mylott, one of the American founding partners of Flagship Management tells Maritime CEO: “In the oil and gas sectors we are seeing a growing demand and increased competition for skilled talent.” The flipside of this growth, Mylott points out is that, “The traditional maritime sectors are seeing a talent drain as employees are pursuing opportunities in the growing offshore sector.”
In response 2006-founded Flagship has seen clients adjust their requirements giving more consideration for work-life balance issues. “Given that many roles require extensive travel, flex schedules and remote working may trump higher salaries for a growing segment of candidates,” says Mylott from his office in Florida.
Demand for particular expertise such as experience with FPSOs or LNG systems is especially strong at the moment, the Flagship executive says.
There are far more dedicated maritime and offshore recruitment firms than, say, 20 years ago. Nevertheless, Mylott reckons his firm is different to his peers.
“Our recruitment model is significantly different than our competitors,” Mylott says. “Our associates and partners have all come from different sectors of the maritime industry.”
Working at Flagship are a large number of maritime academy graduates who have sailed as deck or engine officers, others have experience in naval architecture, maritime technical sales, marine consulting, terminal operations and the government sector.
Two months ago Flagship Management opened up a European office in Ireland.
“We have a global client base and being able to offer an added presence in Europe allows us to better serve these markets,” Mylott says.
Ireland has become a hub for companies expanding globally and offers Flagship what Mylott describes as “an ideal mix of talent, market access, and a pro-business environment”. [08/04/13]
