Editorial (30)
"Look after your people... and they will look after you". The first point of contact for anyone wanting to go to sea is likely to be a member of the human resources (HR) department; equally, the first point of contact for any seafarer outside the ship is likely to be his/her HR or crewing manager.
So, it stands to reason that those who are involved in the business of man- aging the working lives of seafarers should never forget that seafarers are unique in that for a large part of each year they are placed aboard a floating platform, which is subject to the vagaries of the wind and the sea, and in which they work, rest and play, away from normal family life.
Maritime HR/crewing managers, therefore, should not just have a professional knowledge of HR practice, but also, they must have some under- standing of the ways of the sea, and of the challenges that a seafarer and his family will face through separation. He/she therefore provides a link between the seafarer and his/ her family.
The term Human Resources is relatively new. To some it is simply another way of describing the function of personnel management; to others it covers a much broader spectrum of activities than just the management of people. But, this is a term that can turn the Person into a commodity. One dictionary defines a resource as: The stock or supply of money, materials, staff, and other assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function. People should not be regarded simply as a resource.
In any industry, the people are vital to the success of an operation. In the maritime context, those who are charged with the management of people (the seafarers and those who are involved in the management and operation of ships) do not just need the professional knowledge and skills to be able to do the job, but also they must possess a number of key attributes, such as attitude, integrity, transparency, motivation, and a dedi- cation to excellence.
Whether we describe them as HR man- agers, personnel managers or people managers, they all have a responsibility to look after the company’s most valued assets - the people.