In 2014, I wrote that critical issues relating to employment would be attracting talented leaders and mending political fences in some of the nation’s major seaports. Many key leadership posts have been filled with highly capable and well-respected industry leaders. The process of filling other key senior level roles within those organizations and building strong new teams is well underway, which I hope will lend some stability and improved morale following some challenging times over recent years.
This year, the port sector will see unprecedented alliances formed and solidified as competition forces seaports to look at more collaborative ways of doing business with their former adversaries. It’s unclear what these agreements may mean for maritime professionals at ports and port-related businesses, but the name of the game will be adaptability, flexibility and innovative thinking.
In the private sector, 2015 may see significant shifts on the human capital side as Jones Act and Latin American Trade carriers merge. As many of the ocean carriers continue to centralize some functions in new cities, they will undoubtedly need to hire local talent, potentially in large numbers, where the talent pool with critical industry skills may be limited. Ideally, such vacancies would help absorb some of the personnel affected the impending carrier mergers. In these cases, geographic flexibility may determine the potential for downsized personnel to re-employ within the industry.
Overall, we view the job market in the maritime industry as extremely healthy. Salaries remain relatively stable, many companies are proactively attempting to fill critical vacancies, and as demand for qualified personnel increases, we expect opportunities within the maritime sector to continue to flourish.
Susan Shey Dvonch, Managing Partner, Shey-Harding Associates Executive Recruiters