With this year’s campaign theme for International Women’s Day being Inspire Inclusion, we wanted to hear from individuals and HR professionals regarding their thoughts and insights surrounding inclusion within the maritime industry.
P.B. Subbiah
HR Director, Pacific Basin Shipping
What are you doing to ensure the recruitment, retainment and development of female talent within your organisation?
We have a scholarship program in maritime schools where we deliberately choose more girls than boys so that we increase the intake of women at the entry level.
We have gone from zero to >65 female seafarers on our ships in the last four years.
We have policies and practices in place to support new mothers.
We conduct outreach programs for secondary school girl students in collaboration with WISTA.
We are in the process of formalizing our global DEI strategy to better articulate what we do and where we want to go.
Have you put any practices in place to support women and their progression into leadership/advancement within their career? If so, what is this initiative?
Our fundamental objective is to promote a culture where our female colleagues never have to leave their jobs subsequent to childbirth because the transitional challenges are too much to cope with. We want to help ease their transition back into full-time work. To this end, we allow new mothers the option of working from home with full pay for 3 months after the completion of their statutory maternity leave so that their transition back into full-time work is made more manageable. We have gone from zero to >65 female seafarers on our ships in the last four years and we conduct outreach programs for secondary school girl students in collaboration with WISTA.
Has there been any changes to your infrastructure to meet the needs of women?
In addition to the answers above, we are fitting our offices with lactation rooms for new mothers. Our headquarters in Hong Kong already have them. Menopausal female colleagues who need additional cooling facilities like desk fans, etc. are fully sponsored by the company.
Anonymous
HR Professional
What are you doing to ensure the recruitment, retainment and development of female talent within your organisation?
Recruitment – We hire solely based on competency and skillsets that matches with our job roles. Benefits are the same for both males and females.
Retain – We give females the same opportunities for a cross-departmental job transfer if they are found suitable for an internal opening. Head of Dept are encouraged to allow female employees to go on extended maternity leave, if required. Work environment caters to requirement of nursing mothers.
Development – Equal opportunity for females to be considered for career progression. Considerations are solely based on merit performance.
Have you put any practices in place to support women and their progression into leadership/advancement within their career? If so, what is this initiative?
Our Global Head of Research is a female. Again, considerations for promotions are based on performance.
Has there been any changes to your infrastructure to meet the needs of women?
We allow extension of leave or adhoc work-from-home arrangements, whenever there is a need to, for female employees with commitments at home.
Elena Maniatopoulou-Hadjipanayi
Chief People Officer, Tototheo Maritime Ltd
What are you doing to ensure the recruitment, retainment and development of female talent within your organisation?
We monitor gender ratios to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion remain at the top of our agenda.
Have you put any practices in place to support women and their progression into leadership/advancement within their career? If so, what is this initiative?
On-the-job coaching and mentoring, participation in WISTA initiatives, learning opportunities.
Has there been any changes to your infrastructure to meet the needs of women?
We support flexile work arrangements, promoting i-deals where necessary to support our workforce
Anonymous
HR Professional
What are you doing to ensure the recruitment, retainment and development of female talent within your organisation?
We’re hiring based on skills, experience and potential to the position. Gender would not be a consideration factor.
Have you put any practices in place to support women and their progression into leadership/advancement within their career? If so, what is this initiative?
No particular practices focusing on women’s development.
Has there been any changes to your infrastructure to meet the needs of women?
Yes, we do provide breast feeding room facility, and full pay maternity leave with no. of days above statutory requirements.
