Crew HQ: Fact vs Fiction
Crew HQ, a yacht networking site began in 2012, the first of it’s kind. We are an interactive search engine for the yachting industry. Yacht crew can find jobs on board, captains and yacht owners source staff for their vessels, and enthusiasts have access to five star services and bespoke merchandise.
With so much to offer it can be easy to get overwhelmed or confused by which services we provide to whom. Based on FAQ’s we receive daily we have penned down a few things; dispelling some rumors, clarifying mistruths and giving you more information about the site in a manner that will help you get the best out of it. Whether a new member or a frequent subscriber, this is for you.
“Crew HQ is a crew agency” = FICTION
Crew HQ is a professional yacht networking site that faclitates the interactions between job seeking crew, hiring Captains and yacht employers, and yachting service providers. We enable recruiters to access our database and hire crew directly. This makes life easy for captains, agents and yacht management companies. Crew HQ works to put the power of finding either work or yacht crew back into the hands of the subscriber so they can steer their career in whichever way they choose.
Some of our subscribing 'Professional' members are crew agencies who use our system as a great source of crew for hire.
“You have to pay to use Crew HQ” = FICTION
Registration on Crew HQ is absolutely FREE. As a free member you can register, create a crew profile, add your professional information, upload your CV, your references and a profile picture without paying a cent.
You can apply for a job, get hired and never have open your wallet.
At Crew HQ we know that many employers seeking new yacht staff are not permited to use crew agencies; for one reason or another. Generally this is at an owners request and is to avoid paying the usual crew agency placement commissions.
Rather than charging a placement fee we operate a membership programme. Our low monthly (£50) or yearly membership fee (£150) makes it possible for employers to hire crew directly and save many thousands of euro each season on employment contracts.
Our registered users do have the option of buying additional features on the website or services from our support team. These upgrades and services are also managed via our Premium membership program (£10/month or £30/year).
Crew who upgrade to our Premium Membership level will access our valuable 'Reference Validation Service' which enables crew to get honnest feedback on the quality of their references while enabling employers to more access pre-checked references. This speeds up the employment process for everyone.
Premium members also have access to Special Offers and Discounts on training courses, may store all their certification and documents, upload rich media to their crew profiles (uploading images and recorded interview videos etc.)
Premium Membership has a monthly subscription fee of £10/month or £30/year.
Professional Membership is reserved for hiring Captains and crew who are looking for available staff. To post jobs and have access to the applicant’s; members have the option to pay £50/month or £150/year.
“Crew HQ places crew on yachts according to their CV” = FICTION
The Crew HQ staff have no influence on which crew gets hired. Our only involvement in the process is in offering job seekers our assistance by ensuring their profiles are 100% complete and well presented.
By helping you put your best professional foot forward, when you do apply for a position we help you present yourself to the best of you abilities. We don’t interfere with the employer-prospective employee interactions at all. Hiring Captains benefit from our application system which enables them to manage applicants via the website rather than having an endless stream of emails from applicants who dont meet the criteria.
“I can find a job using Crew HQ” = FACT
The Crew HQ website has helped many yacht crew, both green and seasoned, find work on board. Join us. You too can enjoy a rewarding career in the Yachting Industry via Crew HQ.
We hope this first series of Fact vs Fiction article has helped you better understand how and why Crew HQ was created. If you have any further queries don’t hesitate to email at [email protected]