Attracting the Right Crew - Internet Access

North has developed the ‘Right Crew’ concept and is encouraging our Members to think about the ‘Right Crew’ for their operations. Our series of briefings offer some ideas about how to define what the ‘Right Crew’ might be for your operation and to attract, select and retain the Right Crew for your company.

In this related article, we consider the importance of internet access to the modern seafarer.

The current shortage of officers is forecast to get worse. Many shipowners are already facing problems attracting the ‘Right Crew’ for their vessels. The industry faces challenges attracting young people to work at sea.

A good salary  is often not enough to attract and retain talent to companies or motivate young people to choose a career at sea. Companies need to consider other ways of making themselves attractive to current and aspiring seafarers. A whole generation of people entering the workforce has grown up in the era of the internet and social media and they do not want to be without it.

Mariners of a certain age may remember, fondly or otherwise, the excitement of the port agent bringing letters on board from friends or familiy, which were often written several weeks earlier. It was accepted that communication with the real world was limited.

But this is no longer the case. Many seafarers, regardless of age, nationality or background, will not accept a lack of internet access. Having easy and affordable access to stay connected is now a key crew welfare issue. Engaging with friends and family and maintaining relationships via social media is seen as a right, rather than a privilege.

Crew Survey Findings

A 2016 survey carried out by the Sustainable Shipping Initiative identified the provision of internet connectivity on board as being one of the key objectives for making seafarers happier at sea. This is supported by the “Crew Connectivity 2015 Survey Report” carried out by Futurenautics Research.  They found that seafarers’ demand for internet access at sea has never been greater.

A key finding was that 73% of those surveyed “said that the level of on board internet access influenced their decision on which company to work for“.

To emphasise the importance seafarers place on being connected, the same survey found that the seafarers questioned spent an average of US$70 per month on email, instant messaging, video chat and web browsing. Add this to the average of US$80 per month spent on phone calls and SMS texting, and you can see a seafarer sacrifices a significant proportion of their salary on communications when at sea.

Technology

Satellite internet access is not cheap. Hardware currently ranges from around US$5,000 to US$50,000 but the data costs can be several thousand dollars per vessel per month for what is a modest amount of data usage. But this is part of the investment made in the crew to improve their well-being and job satisfaction. We all know the old adage of a happy worker is a productive worker.

As satellite communications technology becomes more advanced, the cost of providing internet access at sea is becoming more affordable. Also, coverage, reliability and speeds are improving. In their 2015 paper on “Ship Connectivity”, DNV-GL  forecast “continued exponential growth in the data transfer capacity available to ships and that current bandwidth limitations will disappear to allow the internet of things and broadband applications in terrestrial networks to expand into all sea-going activity.” Quite simply, it will get bigger, better and faster.

But the current reality is that satellite internet services cannot provide the same level of data usage enjoyed by people ashore. Someone at home might easily use 50GB every month using Skype, Facetime and streaming media. This level of usage at sea is virtually unachievable and very expensive. Internet speed is also restricted. A satellite broadband system will deliver around 400 kbps, which is several times slower than expected ashore. However, new systems using new Ku-band and Ka-band satellite technologies report speeds closer to those expected with residential broadband or 4G mobile.

Cyber Security

The increase in online communications brings with it new risks. Viruses and malware are real problems and both shipowners and crews must play their part in preventing them.

North supports the Be Cyber Aware At Sea campaign www.becyberawareatsea.com. See our cybersecurity area on our website at www.nepia.com/cyber-security.

How Much is Too Much?

It might appear that unlimited high speed internet access at sea is the ultimate goal. But increased connectivity brings its own problems. It can lead to less interaction between seafarers whilst on board, potentially leaving them feeling more isolated. A balance is needed between the seafarer’s connection with the outside world and their connection with fellow crew members.

We published an article in 2016 on the related issue of social dynamics, technology and increased isolation experienced by seafarers which is available to read here.

In Conclusion

Internet access affects the choices made by 3 in 4 seafarers. If seeking to attract and retain the ‘Right Crew’ to your company, internet access clearly has the potential to offer you an advantage in a competitive marketplace.

It is clear that for the new, and even the not so new, generation of seafarer – and would-be seafarer – internet access at sea is considered a necessity and can no longer be considered to be a luxury.

Generation X and the Millennials have spoken (or maybe tweeted?).

North’s “Right Crew” series of loss prevention briefings can be accessed here.