VIEWPOINT: Bunker Firms Should Cast A Wider Net When Hiring Traders

Vernon Jayanathan is director of Maritime Recruitment Company Ltd. Image Credit: Vernon Jayanathan

All businesses vary and have different approaches when it comes to diversity in the workplace.

This is also the case in our bunker industry.

When looking at their approach, it is important that companies analyse their own limitations. Are there any points of view that are missing?

It is often easy to exclude valuable talent because of preconceived ideas of what a person specification needs to be for a particular position.

A lot of clients I work with want similar profiles. They want x number of years' experience, transferable client lists, sales ability, resilience, a team player, etc.  Basically 'plug and play' candidates, preferably from a competitor. That is perfectly understandable, and I respect that.

While this does make sense, I do think that firms can be missing out. Some of these criteria are important, but surely not all?

Existing relationships are important, but so are the ones that are yet to be developed. The ability to build a rapport with a client contact, network with others, and move relationships on from a 'client service provider' to 'business partner' and over time, into 'friendships' is, I think, crucial.

This is especially the case in the long term as a business contact today may move on tomorrow.

Job-related experience is also key, but so is attitude and character. Someone once told me that the problem with experience is that in these ever-changing times, the value of that experience can diminish as new technology comes in, and new platforms are built.

Very often an outsider who can think outside the box comes without the shackles of limiting ideas of what can and cannot be done.

This was the case with me when I joined the industry in 2009 to sell credit reports to bunkers on behalf of Ocean Intelligence, part of the old Petromedia Group.

When I arrived, I had no idea of what a credit report was and had never heard of the bunker industry. I had arrived from a publishing, then conferences and then a learning and development background. 

Though I had no experience of bunkers, I knew how to sell, negotiate, and build relationships. I obviously showed this at interview as I was given a chance (thank you David Post!).

When I started, many were puzzled about my approach. One or two, I'm sure, thought I was one sandwich short of a picnic!. However, my results and contribution eventually spoke for themselves when the group was sold a few years later. 

When people think about diversity and inclusion, they often think of race, gender and so on. However, if all these people who satisfy these criteria all went to similar schools, universities, worked in similar firms, attended the same corporate training courses, and all have the same work experience, where is the real diversity? True diversity is deeper than that.

If you want more of the same, recruit the same! If, however, you want something different, maybe a different, bolder approach could be taken into consideration?

Something to think about.