As a rule of thumb I generally like to meet people face to face when conducting an interview as it oftentimes feels more personal and you seem to find out so much more over a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, for the interview with Rupert Connor, Founder and President of Luxury Yacht Group, this was not to be the case. Mostly because he is in Fort Lauderdale and we are based in Palma, to be fair. However it is testimony to the direction that the company has taken and the strength of character possessed by Rupert and his team, that it didn’t matter in the slightest. It really felt as though we were sat in the same room as each other, and while we are all now used to our zoom calls and remote meetings, to make you feel like that is still a skill not possessed by many, and this is why crew feel so at home with his teams.
So who are Luxury Yacht Group? Well, after nine years at sea having clocked up thousands of miles as Captain, multiple crossing and traverses of the Suez and Panama canals, Rupert realised that the number one obstacle to overcome in order to have a well run boat is that of crew. Happy crew equals a happy boat. So Rupert set up his crew recruitment agency Luxury Yacht Group. With the main ethos of the company being that it’s not a simple case of one size fits all. It is this bespoke, personalised view of crew recruitment that has seen over 140,000 yacht crew come through the agency since Rupert founded it in 2001. Making it the largest crew recruitment agency in the world.
One of the many reasons that they have been so successful at Luxury Yacht Group, is that they are able to give 24 hour coverage, no matter where you are based, due to having offices all over the world. From his home base of Fort Lauderdale, to Australia and New Zealand; Antibes, where they have been for over 15 years, to the UK where Rupert originated from and finally to the newest kid on the block, right here in Palma, in their new office in the heart of Santa Catalina, where they have taken out a ten year lease and are clearly set to stay. It is important to point out that Luxury Yacht Group also provides services for yacht charter, sales and management, although the focus for Palma is definitely leaning towards the recruitment aspect. But they are very much a one stop shop.
I ask how the recruitment market is at the moment and he says it is tough. They currently have an active pool of around 3,000 crew, but the demand for crew and the right crew is even higher. The shipyards are full, boats are selling and reselling at an unprecedented level despite two years of global pandemic. However the pandemic has led to restrictions in movement of crew, which has brought about its own issues, but Rupert is confident that with those carefully chosen crew on their books, they will be able to fill the roles that are out there.
Rupert is also quick to point out that they are not only looking for seasoned crew. For the team at Lux, experience is obviously very important, however it doesn’t have to be experience in a typical crew setting. I talk to him about a friend who is looking to get into the world of superyachts, but has not yet worked on one. However what she does have is her dive master and yoga master certification, as well as years of running dive trips, which included maintaining the equipment and ensuring the safety and enjoyment of all on board, as well as driving the boats. Perfect Rupert says. If you can couple that with an energy and motivation to learn, as well as an understanding that life on board is not always going to be easy. What is key he say is that with those secondary skills there would be no issue finding her a job possibly as deck/third Eng. on something big where she could also run the dive programme for guests and perhaps take yoga in the morning. All the while learning other skills which will give her the ability to progress on a more typical route moving forward. It is this ability to be able to read around the normal that really sets Luxury Yacht Group apart.
So how do crew new and old get in touch with the team? They recommend first going to the website and registering. Ensuring that your CV is up-to-date, has had a full spell and grammar check run on it, along with a smart photograph. The team will then set-up either a call or a face to face chat and this is where the magic starts. It is all about people placing people. Although Rupert does say that they will be straightforward with candidates. In a sense they will give each and everyone a reality score. They are not in the business of building hopes and dreams only to see them unfulfilled. They will not place people for the sake of placing people, only for them to leave the boat a few months or even weeks later. They want crew to stay, much like their own team who have been with the company on average 8 or 9 years.
It is easy to see why there is such longevity in the company. Rupert is charming and personable. He’s quick to praise those who work around him and has a very hands on approach with all aspects of the business. When I speak to his Crew Co-Ordinator here in Palma, Scott Harwood, the feeling is very much mutual and much like their own 360 degree approach of getting references from Captains about their crew, and then getting references from the crew about those very Captains, this speaks volumes. So if you are looking for a change, to find that dream job or are just starting out in the industry, get your information up onto the system and wait for one of the knowledgeable and most important, friendly team of Scott, Helen and Jules at Luxury Yacht Group Palma to give you a call.
Luxury Yacht Group
Palma:+34 871 55 17 98
Carrer de Cotoner, 58, Palma, 07013
Interview by Victoria Pearce
