pegs and holes

There’s some truth in cliché.  No doubt about it.  But cliché also limits thinking.  When it comes to maritime sector executive search, ‘a round peg in a round hole’ is one of stonefort marine talent’s least favourite clichés.  Why?  Two reasons.  Firstly, the round hole is often one that has been shaped by years of traditional thinking and hiring (so looking backward rather than forward).  Secondly, there’s usually more than one way to fill any hole so why limit the search to a single ‘shape’ or a simple peg? 

At stonefort marine talent, we try not to think about jigsaw pieces, pegs or other simple visuals. The metaphors are too simplistic. The hole is rarely round. People are rarely cylindrical. And, while we definitely do not hammer squares into circles (incurring all the usual problems of credibility, attrition and operational risk), we do think deeply about the breadth of candidate type that might fit a given role.

Look forward not backward

The maritime sector is more traditional than most for many reasons.  Some of those reasons make sense: there’s a feeling of duty and service in an industry that’s been around for hundreds of years, while trading patterns and life at sea tend to breed a rhythm and routine that endures in those that come ashore.  Some of those reasons make less sense as the ships, technologies, people & attitudes that the industry needs today (and for the future) continue to evolve.  As hiring a senior executive can shape a company for the next decade or more, bringing in individuals who can grasp the emerging demands of a rapidly changing maritime sector is essential.

A firm grasp

But that same individual needs to have a feel for the traditional too.  In a ship management company, where the safety of ships and people is reliant on those at sea, a Chief of Operations (COO) who eschews all tradition and employs every modern management approach is less likely to be successful than a COO who successfully blends deep understanding of the way things work, and the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of things that must change right now as opposed to those that will take time.  More simply put, the successful executive in the maritime sector requires a blend: versatility, energy, commercial savvy and an effective (modern) leadership style.  All of these anchored securely with a firm grasp of the unique challenges of safe, efficient maritime operations. 

Which is why…

Which is why stonefort marine talent works with our clients to design a role profile that allows us sufficient latitude to build a diverse candidate slate.  The ideal candidates are unlikely to look or feel exactly like those who have commissioned the search (which is good as we all tend to recruit in our own image) but they will bring something unique to the role.  Yes, they will all deliver the core of the brief.  But the ‘how’ of their approach, or their leadership style, or their experiences, will be different. 

So, when our clients interview, instead of four or five round 'pegs’ who differ only in detail, each candidate on the slate offers an alternative route to success.  We’re confident enough in the way we work, and the results we can provide with this approach, to share the risk through our executive search fee structures.  To find out more, please contact mark.hanson@stonefortmarine-talent.com