Anecdotal evidence has suggested megayachts have high turnover among the greener members of their crew. A survey confirms there’s cause for alarm. Nearly 40 percent of junior superyacht crew are quitting across the size spectrum. What’s more, longtime assumptions like big cash tips making a difference don’t actually do so. “The industry has moved from yachting being a lifestyle job to being a job that supports a lifestyle,” notes Caroline Clarke-Jack, director and interior consultant at Quay Group, which conducted the survey.
Quay Group, a staffing-services company evolving from the crew-placement company Quay Crew, launched the survey to analyze retention issues and how to improve them. The company defines “junior” as those with less than three years’ experience in on-deck and interior roles. Simultaneously, these junior crew have no leadership duties. Quay Group surveyed 100 captains of yachts from 128 feet to upwards of 394 feet (39 to 120 meters). Their yachts represented private-only use, charter use, and mixed-use programs, too.
Overall, Quay Group found that the average annual turnover rate among new crew as deckhands and stews is 37 percent. In fact, nearly half of all yachts have 30 percent or higher turnover rates. More concerning, though, 29 percent of yachts see junior superyacht crew are quitting at a rate exceeding 50 percent.
One of the long-touted benefits of working aboard charter yachts in particular is the ability to earn healthy extra income through tips. The tips certainly are good, with the Quay Group survey revealing that charter-yacht crew receive an average of €14,700, or about $17,000. That’s on top of salaries from €50,000 to €75,300, or about $58,000 to $87,000. But the extra money really has no bearing on convincing junior crew to stay. It’s quite the contrary. The higher the tips, the shorter the junior crew are remaining. This higher turnover, Quay Group believes, relates to burnout and less time off. The young adults prefer to take a break from working and enjoy the fruits of their total earnings for a while.
On the positive side, if your junior superyacht crew are quitting, you’ll have a much better chance of retaining them if you improve their leave packages. For instance, rotation schedules make a difference. Quay Crew finds that 67 percent of yachts that established 3:1 rotation are holding onto greener crew longer. Additionally, among the 40 percent of yachts that enhanced leave benefits within the past two years, almost half have less turnover. “Incremental improvements in leave—such as moving from 45 to 60 days—have negligible impact on retention,” explains Tim Clarke, director at Quay Group. “However, yachts implementing genuine 3:1 rotation are seeing significant improvements in crew longevity.”
Two further discoveries should help owners and captains better understand the problem. Firstly, most captains say that these crew increasingly see yachting as a short-term money-making opportunity versus a career. As Clarke-Jack mentions, it’s a job that lets them live a certain way. Some of the younger crewmembers unfortunately have unrealistic expectations as well. Regardless, a better onboard culture, coupled with better leave and better salary, helps solve the retention problem. Secondly, limited chances for growing through the ranks convinces crew to quit. Captains therefore recommend mentorship and structured training programs as solutions.
Just like in the corporate world, high turnover comes at more than everyday operational costs. Quay Group estimates that replacing just one deckhand or stew can add €10,000 to €20,000, or about $11,600 to $23,000, to the bottom line. Considering the survey finds that yachts employ an average of 5.6 junior crew each year, missed opportunities are extraordinarily expensive.
Quay Group quaygroup.com
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