Monthly news and views on shipping, offshore and transport recruitment - commercial, technical, legal and insurance

Distributed free to over 10,000 maritime professionals worldwide

IN THIS ISSUE

Welcome
Ageisn crackdown creates redundancy headache
Our monthly poll
Shipping awareness workshop
Can a worker sue for a bad reference?
Psychimetrics
Earn £400

WELCOME

The England Football team are out of the world cup, the England Cricket team is faring badly and the only serious British contender is out at Wimbledon….. all we need now is the rain and we've got a typical UK Summer.

However we must not complain as the maritime job market is very strong and shows no sign of abating. Superintendents, Surveyors, Brokers and Charterers are the in-demand job types of the moment with some great packages to match.

You may find something in our vacancy list at the bottom of the page but equally feel free to call us if you're toying with the idea of moving on. In return we can provide you with accurate information on market conditions and the packages on offer. If a move seems attractive we can then help you compile a short list of target companies and confidentially market you to the relevant people in those companies.

Your first stop should be Russell Otter on +44(0)1702 480 142.

In addition there has never been a better time to cash in on the £400 on offer for referring a friend. The market is short of these candidates and with the vacancies currently available it is well worth claiming your referral fee if you know someone who may be suitable.

Full details can be seen at http://www.shippingjobs.com/jobseekers/referral_scheme.asp.

AGEISM CRACKDOWN CREATES REDUNDANCY HEADACHE

New anti-age discrimination laws which come into force on 1st October are meant to help older workers. But, as with so many legal changes, they are likely to backfire and bring grief to thousands of older people. The government has drafted the laws in such a way that employers who give bigger redundancy payoffs to older workers or to those with longer service records could find themselves accused of age discrimination against younger workers. Lawyers and other experts are mystified as to why the government chose this route, when it had previously said it recognised the merits of paying larger sums to such people.

The Guardian
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/cash/story/0,,1805163,00.html

OUR MONTHLY POLL

This month we asked you what you thought of psychometric tests.

Psychometric testing claims to be able to assess the character strengths and weaknesses of an interview candidate, and provide an accurate profile of their suitability for a position.

Some employers use the tests before the interview process as a way of screening out unsuitable candidates; others prefer to use them when they are trying to decide between the final few applicants.

Perhaps surprisingly according to our poll almost two thirds of both employers and jobseekers felt they were useful. Our feeling is that if we had run this test a few years the results would have been a resounding 'not useful'.

Although the tide seems to be going in favour of testing there a couple of things we at Spinnaker think you should bear in mind.

If you're a jobseeker don't panic if you are asked to do a psychometric test. There are no right or wrong answers (particularly in the personality section) and you probably won't be able to second-guess what your interviewer is looking for anyway. Psychometric tests are almost always used in conjunction with a one-to-one interview, so you can still impress the selectors in other ways

If you're an employer the best thing to do is to choose a well established testing company (please call us if you would like some recommendations). Further info for employers on psychometrics can be seen further down the page.

Our pollsters will be taking a break over the Summer but if you have a topic you would like us to run please e-mail Eric Branson at ebranson@shippingjobs.com and we will endeavour to include it come September.

SHIPPING AWARENESS WORKSHOP

The next one day Precious Associates (PAL) "Shipping Awareness Workshop" will be held on Tuesday 25th July at the Birch Hotel, Haywards Heath, UK.

The aim is to provide a working insight into the marine industry - ships, seafarers, shipping companies and international regulations - through hands on experience during the Workshop. It suits both newcomers to the industry and staff wishing to widen their knowledge of the industry

Cost: £220 per person - to include lunch and full Workshop handouts.

For fuller details or to book places please contact: pal@preciousassociates.ltd.uk Phone: +44 (0)1444 441032.

CAN A WORKER SUE FOR A BAD REFERENCE?

Under the Data Protection Act 1998, confidential references which you give are exempt from disclosure. This means that you can legitimately refuse to supply the ex-employee with a copy of the reference.

Obviously, if you are happy to let him see what you have written, then you should disclose it, especially if you are satisfied it is just and true (see further below). Unfortunately, however, the exemption does not cover references received by a prospective employer. Thus, the ex-employee is free to make a request for access to the reference recipients.

You owe a duty of care to the ex-employee in providing a reference to a prospective employer. Your duty is to take reasonable care in the preparation of the reference and you will be liable to the employee in negligence if you fail to do so and the employee suffers loss or damage as a result.

Your obligation is to provide a true, accurate and fair reference. The reference must not give a misleading impression. However, as long as the reference is accurate and does not tend to mislead, there is no obligation on you to set out great detail or to be comprehensive.

Essentially, this means you must be able to substantiate the comments you have made in the reference with hard evidence and you must not give misleading information, whether by the selective provision of information or by the inclusion of information in a manner that would lead a reasonable recipient to draw a false or mistaken inference. For example, you should not allude to an employee's misconduct if you have never carried out an investigation into that misconduct and you do not therefore have reasonable grounds for believing in that misconduct.

Claire Birkinshaw, legal expert, Federation of Small Businesses

PSYCHOMETRICS

This is the proper terminology for tests of ability and tests of aptitude. It is also used to refer to behavioural, attitudinal or personality questionnaires - although, in reality, these last three are not tests but measures.

A test is something that has a definable standard, with right and wrong answers. Psychometric tests are standardised samples of responses to carefully constructed questions that are scientifically validated to ensure that they measure what they set out to measure.

Psychometric tests sound rather academic but they're actually a way of making hard-headed business decisions. They will increase your bottom line. They'll decrease staff turnover, identify talent, create a more efficient organisation.

Psychometric tests sometimes look expensive. A good test might cost you at least £50 to administer and interpret. But since it may cost you £10,000 in direct costs if you recruit the wrong senior manager (and a lot more in indirect costs) this doesn't seem too high a price.

Tests will also help companies defend against legal challenges to HR decisions, which might end up in expensive tribunals and court cases. It's illegal to discriminate on grounds of gender, race, sexual orientation, age or religious belief. Test results are defensible evidence in court, whereas interviews are open to all sorts of challenges. And, of course, using them will ensure that you are being objective, building a successful, effective, motivated organisation.

Good recruitment and development practice are part of a company's marketing and brand development. Even a rejected candidate will speak well of a company that's taken the time to create a professional recruitment process which gives valuable feedback: tests provide that.

EARN £400

Below is a list of vacancies currently available. However, if you are not interested or not suitable for any of these positions but you know someone who might be interested, you can EARN YOURSELF A £400 referral fee by passing details of the vacancy onto them.

You simply need to go to http://www.shippingjobs.com/jobseekers/referral_scheme.asp and complete our simple form giving us details of the person you have referred the job to. Subject to the terms of the scheme, if that person gets the job, you get £400. Simple.

(Please note that those marked with an 'AD' reference are advertised directly by the client and are therefore not eligible for the scheme.)