Many of our European clients operate globally and therefore favour an international – often predominantly Asian – crew. Usually, the client faces a short lead-time and wants to be sure he can rely on a partner with a proven track record in providing total crewing services. TOS addresses this issue with an office in Jakarta and an intensive collaboration with a local Philippine partner company. Let’s take a look behind the scenes.
On a large video screen we see a live stream of Fahmi Rojak, Branch Manager in Jakarta, introducing a new candidate. The way of working is simple and effective: the offices in Jakarta and Manilla take care of recruitment and pre-selection, and then our colleagues in Rotterdam conduct interviews with candidates via videoconferencing or on location in order to make a final selection. ‘The client is regularly involved and we conduct the interviews together’, explains Division Manager Maritime, Achouak Jouahri. In this way, the typically long process of recruitment and selection can be minimized to just a few direct interviews. ‘The personal interviews give us a better impression of the skills, proficiency in English and the enthusiasm of the individuals. Also for the candidates, this is a more pleasant approach. They can then put a face to the name of their contact person. This feels more familiar, making them part of the team straight away!’ The interviews are at times hilarious, Achouak shares: ‘For example, a cook once told us proudly that he could prepare the Dutch national dish.’ With a smile he explained: ‘A kapsalon!’*
High standards
Crews for ship deliveries, harbour and terminal towage, jack-ups… TOS is a specialist in niche markets worldwide. TOS consultants working worldwide all use the same recruitment system. This gives them real-time information about the availability of candidates, so that we can act quickly. ‘Additionally, with our intense collaboration and integrated IT-system we can ensure uniformity in the processes and way of working. From processing visa requests to drawing up contracts. This is how we tackle differences in culture and mindset, explains Achouak. ‘We are proud to provide a service meeting the same high standards everywhere in the world.’
* A fast food dish typical for Rotterdam with French fries, shoarma, salad, cheese and garlic sauce