Associate Editor Aileen Mack joined Dockwalk in July 2018. She is a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. If she’s not at a concert or coffee shop, she is lost in a book, movie or a YouTube rabbit hole. Email Aileen at aileen@dockwalk.com.
In today’s world, yacht owners, captains, hiring managers, and crewmembers have a multitude of options of finding one another from social media and online databases to recruiters. While each has its benefits, the process can be time-consuming or lead to an overflow of applications. Setting their sights to revolutionize the recruiting process, Meridian° began beta-testing its new global, crew-hiring platform in January 2021. From this period, they received feedback on the website look and feel, which they’ve made improvements to.
Crew can create a free account to access jobs on Friday, June 4, and employers can create a free Meridian° account and use all the features for free for 30 days, starting on June 14. While an app for crew will be available shortly after the launch, the employer app will be released later in the year.
Candidates can pre-record a video introducing themselves and have access to a daywork board, a CV builder, and a personal vault to manage documents.
Founded in 2020, Meridian° is an innovative platform that helps find, interview, vet, and manage crew. Candidates can pre-record a video introducing themselves and have access to a daywork board, a CV builder, and a personal vault to manage documents. Select features require the purchase of a package, including the option to be vetted in advance, enabling employers to review their credentials prior to interviewing them and know the information has all been verified by a team with a combined 68 years of experience as yacht crew. Other paid features include the crew concierge team to build and maintain a profile and crew coaches who are available by appointment for industry-related guidance and using the platform.
“Our innovative, easy-to-use platform ensures employers can quickly hire already vetted and qualified crew, and then effectively manage them to improve job satisfaction and reduce the high cost of crew turnover,” CEO Garry Kyle said in a press release.
Meridian° offers employers access to video responses to screening questions, a side-by-side comparison of crew, along with a concierge service that can conduct a preliminary search of candidates that match specific requirements. The platform also features a crew manager to track crew on board, including documents, certificate expirations, leave management, along with guest preferences and print lists for customs and immigration.
To bring the platform to the industry as quickly as possible, Meridian° acquired Crew4Yachts, the industry’s original yacht CV database founded by Stacy Geddis in 2004. “I’ve always envisioned a centralized hiring platform that equally benefits crew, employers, and recruiters, and that’s exactly what Meridian° does,” said Geddis, president of Meridian°, in a press release.