In our previous article in this series of twelve, we discussed that HCM is key in facilitating meaningful connections onboard ships and the remote offices that exist today. This ultimately drives a community of seafarers who feel positive, engaged, and supported in their work. Not only does this improve the quality of talent recruited but also increases the safety of shipping, and lessens the likelihood of turnover.
We have already shared the first three recommendations that can support maximising business benefits when optimising HCM. The following three recommendations are the final of six that are contained within our full report, linked at the end of this article.
- Ensure you have a good dialogue with your vendors
This is critical to getting the most out of your HCM system. During the research for this main report, we spoke with end users that realised after some time they had features within their systems that they were paying for and yet were not aware of. This is not only a costly mistake, but may also lead the user to believe the system is not as useful as they anticipated it to be. This also ties back to our first recommendation in the previous article. If people are not aware of why a system is being implemented and how it can help them, it will be harder to secure their support and the business will not realise the full value of the solution. Having a vendor that shares or buys into your vision and has the experience to support you through the transition can be priceless
- Acknowledge the constraints of the industry
The shipping industry presents many unique challenges for the seafarers of today. The remote working environment means that it is a hard place to get HCM right. But those same constraints also require the additional support that HCM provides. It’s important to not let perfection be the enemy of good. HCM is a journey, so concentrate on the low-hanging fruit that will bring the quickest returns and support your most important KPIs.
By taking this approach, you will be better placed to harness existing talent and develop the talent pool. Ultimately, this will reduce the risk of critical positions being left unfilled and drive organisational resilience. Because of this, it is critical to have an effective HCM strategy that harnesses existing talent and provides the tools and support to develop the talent pool. This helps an organisation to prepare and plan for new hires with enough time, reducing the risk of critical positions being left unfilled. In turn, this drives organisational resilience.
- Ensure that your HCM tools drive collaboration between people, processes and systems
HCM systems must work to bring people, processes, and systems together. They must be able to integrate and communicate with other systems and solutions. Understanding the value that different HCM systems play and calculating the savings that they make can help you to decide where best to inject future investment and avoid the tech stack issue.
For a more detailed understanding of the recommendations covered in this article, refer to our report, commissioned by Ocean Technologies Group. The Bottom Line: Why Human Capital Management is the future of HR and crewing. You can download the full report which contains all six recommendations below:
