What keeps crew managers up at night?

Arranging the travel of a vessel’s crew is not the only job of a crew manager. With an estimated workforce of 1.5 million people working in the ever-changing turbulent shipping industry, the role and daily life of a crew manager can be very demanding.

Crew managers are faced with the ongoing challenge of balancing the needs and wants of seafarers to avoid rocking the boat financially. Limiting costs is a huge priority and includes crew salary, managing the budget of the ship, and most importantly savings that can be made with the most efficient crew rotation. However, travel patterns of crew can change in a matter of minutes and can waste a lot of time and money if managers aren’t careful when considering all integrating factors.

It can be tricky balancing a number of influencing factors when deciding on the best course of action regarding crew rotations, not least the cost of flights, availability and frequency. Often, a cheaper flight does not necessarily mean the shortest transit time. A successful crew manager must be able to find the balance between cost and routing in order to give a fair deal to the seafarer as well as to the employer. This is also imperative to avoid possible commercial impact or damage to the reputation of the ship manager or owner.

Also likely to keep crew managers up at night is the lack of support available 24/7 if not working with the right travel management partner. Many crew managers work through the night and generally try to connect with ships that are constantly moving, so they need to know they can rely on having access to consistent, global support no matter which changing time zones they are on at sea.

Recruitment has also been a big hurdle in more recent times. Shipping is not a particularly well-known industry to younger upcoming generations and they don’t readily consider a career in the sector. It can be difficult for crew managers to hire the right people for the job. Staff shortages - a challenge globally - also mean that crew managers are working harder than ever to retain their staff.

Improving the travel experience for seafarers, including through limiting last minute changes, reducing uncertainty or offering access to a more detailed itinerary ahead of travel, can help managers to improve employee retention. Wellbeing considerations are a very important factor in making a career in the industry more appealing to future prospects, including generation z and millennials.

 Most crew managers want to support their captain and their crew in every way possible, to ensure that the ship is running effectively and the team is churning out its best efforts.

Nikos Gazelidis is Global Head of Shipping at ATPI Griffinstone, the specialist marine and energy division of the travel management and events business, the ATPI Group. For more information please visit www.atpi.com/griffinstone and the ATPI Knowledge Hub.

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