Crew Development through
Mentoring & Coaching

Discover how the Superyacht References team encourages crew development through mentoring and coaching.

We are a team of yachting professionals who have all experienced living and working on board yachts. This gives us first-hand experience of what it takes to be a crew member.

Unfortunately, many current crew members - our future leaders - are lacking support and guidance from fellow crew and/or superiors within their yacht’s existing programme. Given the non-stop, demanding nature of our industry, it is not always easy for yacht crew to find the support they need.

There are many reasons why some yacht crew struggle to find mentors and receive career guidance. It could be a lack of confidence, no rapport or trust with the senior crew, a fear of being knocked back and rejected, or being accused of asking stupid questions.

If you are lucky enough to be within a great yacht team and have found a good mentor, these individuals are not always available when you need them.

Click to submit an expression of interest in our mentoring programmes

Our yacht crew mentoring and coaching team aims to bridge this gap by assisting crew development in several stages:

Stage 1 Create Crew Profile

The yacht crew member provides us with detailed information on a private profile. Our expert team communicates with them to assess past concerns and future goals.

Stage 2 Conduct Assessments

We utilise feedback from a candidate’s referees during the yacht crew reference checking procedure. Our team assesses the candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations.

Stage 3 Review Crew Member

Our team initiates an open and honest dialogue with the crew candidate to review all of the information. We provide further feedback and challenge the yacht candidate to assess what they could improve on.

Stage 4 Consult with Employers

We consult with any potential future employers to highlight each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. We also provide them with guidance on areas (if any) the senior team may need to focus on when training and supporting the new crew member, in order to further build on the chosen candidate’s strengths, abilities and attributes.

Stage 5 Create Action Plan

Our team works with the candidate (and employer if needed), to discuss the yacht’s current programme, and to create an action plan for future growth and development for the candidate. The action plan will benefit both the incoming superyacht crew member as well as the rest of the team on board.

Stage 6 Monitor and Support

We will closely monitor the candidate’s progress and our team will be available for ongoing support, feedback, and guidance. Our aim is to inspire confidence, increase strengths, reduce weaknesses, grow into being better professionals and ultimately, soar to new heights as yacht crew.

The key to a good mentor/mentee relationship is good communication. For us, this relationship starts when you create a Superyacht References profile. As you build on this profile, we use the information to collect evidence-based feedback from professional referees, gain a comprehensive understanding of your skills and background, and understand your future career goals in yachting.

Our team works with you to develop in any areas that you feel to be a weakness or may need to improve on – based on past employment feedback. This process will ensure your future career progression in the yacht industry.

Our mission does not stop when you get the job. Throughout our professional relationship, our ultimate goal is to provide you the ongoing support that you need to continually grow as yacht crew and to share your skills and attributes with others who may be in need of guidance and career support.

How we work with you, the Candidate
  • We create a full picture by getting to know you personally and looking at your professional yacht crew employment history. Our team considers all the feedback we receive for references to better serve you in your next yacht role and future career progression.
  • Our team acts as a resource for advice or a safe place for you to discuss stressful, work-related problems. We are here to listen, identify the root of an issue and work together to find a solution to any concerns you may have about your superyacht references or yacht career. The private conversations with our team happen without fear of judgement or repercussions within your current yacht programme. As our team is not directly involved with you on board, it is easier to build rapport and form an open and honest bond.
  • With a deep-rooted passion for the industry as a whole, we are here to get the best possible outcome for each and every candidate so they can fulfill their career potential, and subsequently enhance the yacht industry for others.
  • We work with you to create action plans and set progress goals so that you have a clear vision for your own yacht career growth and development.
  • Drawing on years of collective experience, our team understands that incidents of constructive criticism and negative feedback are inevitable at some point in our yacht careers. We firmly believe that if you are willing to learn from this feedback and have the correct support system, the right role is out there for every yacht crew member.

We are committed to helping our candidates become the best versions of themselves

Emplyer Benefits
How we work with the Employer
  • We help you hire professional superyacht crew. Our team shares our insights into each candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, skills, abilities, and attributes, so that you can make an informed decision as to which individual best enhances your yacht’s existing programme.
  • Once a yacht candidate has been placed on board, we work with you throughout the transition period. We will communicate with you what may or may not be working for both the candidate and employer and provide any support to help with the candidate’s acclimatization to their new yacht program.
  • If needed, we can assist with direct feedback to the crew candidate after the hiring process. We will build on their personal growth and development action plan to make it specific to their current vessel and yacht crew team.
  • We provide continuous communication with the employer to monitor the candidate’s progress and will be available to them for any ongoing support and guidance. This is not limited to one candidate and can extend to others within the yacht’s program.
  • As an external, neutral organisation with expansive experience in the yachting field, we are able to ask questions with an open mind and assist in providing constructive criticism in a way that is neither insulting nor patronizing.
  • We believe that success in the yacht industry is a team sport. We are passionate about finding the best team members for your yacht and offering professional crew mentorship.

From superyacht references to ongoing crew mentorship, our team will work with you for the entire yacht crew recruitment journey.

Emplyer Candidate

Unrivaled support services
tailored for Yacht Recruitment