Psychometric testing for life at sea
The Ship Safe Training Group (SSTG), which has come together through an innovative attitude toward getting much needed skills on board ships, also has an unconventional approach to finding trainees.
Originally formed by a number of companies which decided to pool their training needs and expertise rather than pursuing individual schemes, the SSTG is a non-profit organisation which is still directly funded and controlled by its members. These include names such as CEMEX, Westminster Dredging, Klyne Tugs and Gardline Geosurvey. Though diverse, all of these companies need certain skills to be in place when a crew member joins a ship.
One of the things that the SSTG needs are college leavers but it is not easy job to find graduates who both wish to, and are suitable for, life at sea. These are likely to be young people who will probably be looking at an officer class contract. Such people are not easy to find, so it was quite fortunate that SSTG ran into Thomas International at Seawork 2008. Thomas International is a company with marine experience and a proven track record in finding particular kinds of people for specific roles. Thomas starts this process by running an effective set of psychometric tests for the SSTG.
Paul Newton of Thomas explains that beyond the obvious suitability for the job, he also needs to know how the person is likely to change their behaviour when in the role or under pressure.
‘However,’ Mr Newton says, ‘this is only half the picture. The other part is letting people know, in the most effective way possible, how their behaviour is likely to affect others, especially since being on board a ship often means you don’t get to finish at five and go home.’ This is where Thomas’ behavioural training comes into play.
Mr Newton goes on to explain that, for example, ‘Someone who is dominant and just wants to get on with the job should also know how their approach can scare people away from contributing.’
The training itself takes place over a couple of months, but follow-ups can carry on for the next two years to help the new ways of behaving stick. It is undoubtedly a longer term process, but one SSTG have invested in, since once onboard, ‘teamwork’ is less of a luxury than an absolute necessity, and the ability to get people to work effectively together is a highly valued commodity. In short, as Mr Newton says, ‘A captain really has to know how to get the best out of his crew.’
For more information visit www.thomasinternational.net or email pauln@thomas.co.uk .
