Gender inclusivity in Superyacht Crew Hiring

Humans are 99.9% the same, genetically. Divisive elements, such as discrimination and sexism are not based in science. These are social and cultural constructs and therefore we can advocate for positive change and create an inclusive and fair work environment for everyone within the maritime industry. 

Firstly, a definition. Gender equality is defined as "equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities for women and men. Equality does not mean that men and women will become the same, but rather that their rights, responsibilities, and opportunities should not depend on their gender at birth" (European Institute for Gender Equality, 2023).

Positive changes are already taking place in the Superyacht industry. There is increased awareness of mental health, more vessels are promoting and paying for training, and there are more rotational contracts which contributes to better work-life balance. 

Shockingly though, one change that has not yet occurred is equal job opportunities for men and women. Men are overwhelmingly hired for deck and engineering roles, while women are typically hired for interior positions, due to gendered hiring processes and traditional stereotypes. Conscious and unconscious-biases, owner's preferences, and limited crew space on yachts contribute to this issue.

All too often, the image in the (frequently male) hiring manager’s mind when seeking exterior crew is a man. Even in job postings where “Males Only” is not stated, it is more common than you would expect to see gendered language, for example “Strong in his capabilities to lead the department”. Gendered language reinforces stereotypes for everyone. In a Harvard study, both men and woman found gender exclusive language sexist, but women responded with a lower sense of belonging and motivation (Gaucher et al, 2011), two attributes which are essential within crew dynamics. In fact, in the “real world”, gendered language at work is illegal according to the Equality and Human Rights commission and the UK government has extensive guidance on discrimination (Equality and Human Rights Commission 2023; Gov.uk, 2012).

Inclusivity in yachting is made more complex due to logistical issues surrounding cabin arrangements. Recently, two MLC Compliant Yacht Recruitment Agencies have had their LinkedIn pages deactivated due to discrimination in job postings, a violation of LinkedIn’s policies. This is an interesting discussion point, as both agencies claim that this is to protect the safety and wellbeing of crew. In order to comply with MLC, vessels must ensure that: “given the number and genders of the crew onboard, the overall number of cabins and berths is sufficient for full separation of genders theoretically to obtain. If that requirement is met, then it is not a matter for flag or Port State Control to comment on or become involved with, as long as the shared cabin arrangements are acceptable to the parties concerned” (Maritime & Coastguard Agency, 2006).

Hiring based on gender may seem like the easiest option to fit into existing gender-based cabin arrangement plans, but it is not a fair, inclusive, or conducive approach to creating a collaborative crew environment. It is widely recognised that diverse teams have stronger dynamics, generating more innovative ideas and successful outcomes. This holds true not only for superyachts but also in any business setting. 

These practices also create a deeply unfair hiring process and a strong gender bias in job portfolios. Hiring by gender reduces the depth of the talent pool and many qualified candidate’s CVs are simply overlooked.

Recently as C/O on a 70m vessel I hired a new deckhand and during the recruitment process was actively looking for a male. This was primarily because we already have two female deck crew onboard who share a cabin, so for logistical reasons a male was sought as the only cabin space available would be sharing with another male. Although there were no outdated sexist stereotypes behind the reasoning for our hiring, I was uncomfortably aware that we were contributing to the lack of diversity in yachting. If even with the best of intentions sexism in hiring practices occurs, how can we move forward and become more inclusive?

Despite the challenges, there are some actions we can take to enforce positive change. Each vessel is unique and requires a situational recruitment process. We must hold crew agents, Captains and HODs accountable and question the current hiring practices. When a “gender type” is required for a job role we should question whether this is really necessary. Can this role really only be filled by a specific gender, or are there any unconscious and conscious biases at play? Could the wording of the job posting be made more inclusive? Would it be okay for crew to be in a mixed cabin if all parties feel safe and comfortable? Are there any other ways around this? Don’t just settle and think “this is just the nature of the industry, this is how it’s always been.” 

To conclude, in the hiring process, most people envision the Engineers and Deck Crew to be male. Even now with more woman than ever joining the Superyacht industry to work on the exterior, we have not yet surpassed the traditional hiring routes of the maritime industry. I believe that traditional thought should be challenged, and although it may be difficult, with work, increased dialogue and commitment we can move towards a more inclusive hiring process.

It’s worth noting that the more diverse yachting becomes, the easier inclusive hiring will be as it will naturally become easier to match with same gender cabinmates. Therefore, if we put in the hard-work now to ensure that teams are inclusive, we can reap the benefits of high achieving, stable and diverse teams down the line. Basic stability is paramount, as we all understand from working on the water. So, when there is an unequal distribution of contributions, it creates imbalance within the team, making it prone to weaknesses and ultimately leading to failure.

References  

 eige.europa.eu. (2023). gender equality | European Institute for Gender Equality. [online] Available at:https://eige.europa.eu/publications-resources/thesaurus/terms/1059?language_content_entity=en.

Gaucher, D., Friesen, J., & Key, A. C. (2011). Evidence That Gendered Wording in Job Advertisements Exists and Sustains Gender Inequality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(1), 109-128.

Advertising Frequently asked questions about what is lawful advertising for: jobs; goods, facilities and services; and accommodation. (2023). Available at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/advertising_-_faq.pdf

GOV.UK (2012). Employers: preventing discrimination. [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/employer-preventing-discrimination/recruitment

Maritime & Coastguard Agency (2006). Maritime Labour Convention – crew accommodation. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80bdf740f0b62305b8ce43/MSN_1844_MLC_Crew_Accommodation.pdf

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