More than just the cookies

“It has to be part of the organisational culture where good work is publicly acknowledged and rewarded.”

Dr Cahoon, who has written a number of research papers on attracting, developing and retaining staff in the shipping/ports sector, says that whether we work in ports, shipping, insurance, education etc., our needs as employees are similar.

“Although some would say it is about the money, the reality is that it is often about respect and appreciation for our contribution in the workplace,” he says.

“What is it that we require from our employers to retain us? Training and development opportunities, being put through university programmes, more responsibility and empowerment, and consultation are just a few examples. Of interest is that Generation Y employees are typified as being CV builders and thus being provided with transferable skills that can be used in other organisations, paradoxically, may retain those employees.”

Given the global financial situation, another important factor for retention is stability and ongoing sustainability of the organisation, he adds. “In other words, ongoing employment and faith from employees that their organisation will not take the retrenchment option during difficult times for short-term gains.”

Some shipping companies took the opportunity during the financial crisis to train their staff, to ready them for the upturn in the market, says Dr Cahoon. “Their view was that they could not afford to lose their valuable skilled staff, and because of the ongoing knowledge and skills shortages in many industries, the risk was too great that new staff with the required skill sets may no longer be available.”

As with many other competitive industries, port employees face many challenges to keep pace with the many changes occurring in their work environment, says Dr Cahoon in his paper ‘Human capital in ports: Attracting developing and retaining customer focused staff’.

“Factors such as globalisation, and rapidly changing information and communication technologies, all contribute to a more complex workplace within which employees at all levels must manage their activities to achieve the outcomes as expressed in their contracts of employment. Among this, many are also seeing job satisfaction, a sense of purpose and belonging, and an opportunity to gain extra skills and opportunities to advance their career aspirations.”

As he points out, work is about meaning as well as money – it provides people with their self-worth, status and purpose.