Recruiting staff for the shipbuilding industry rarely works with a standard job advert, because the best welders, pipe fitters and ship’s electricians aren’t actively looking for work and don’t respond to job listings. You can reach them through data-driven campaigns on the channels where they actually are, with a message that resonates with what truly motivates them. This way, you can fill scarce maritime roles within 3 to 8 weeks on average.
Does this sound familiar? Your vacancy for a marine electrician has been open for months, you’re getting too few responses, and the candidates who do apply aren’t the right fit. In a sector facing an extreme labour shortage, this is no coincidence, but the result of an approach that isn’t suited to the target group.
Why doesn’t a generic job advertisement work in the shipbuilding industry?
A generic job advert doesn’t work because most suitable professionals in the shipbuilding industry already have a job and don’t check job sites every day. You won’t attract these latent jobseekers with a list of job requirements, but with a targeted message at the moment they are receptive.
The maritime manufacturing industry is facing structural staff shortages of skilled technical personnel, according to the trade association Netherlands Maritime Technology see. Technical roles have been at the top of the list of hard-to-fill vacancies for years, according to UWV (2024).
A broadly worded job advertisement will then be competing with dozens of virtually identical adverts. If you say the same thing as everyone else, you won’t stand out to the candidate you actually need.
What’s more, employers often misjudge their own appeal. Target audience data regularly shows that skilled workers prioritise different factors to those the employer assumes: journey time, shift patterns, equipment and colleagues sometimes carry more weight than the gross salary.
What approach actually works when it comes to recruiting staff in the shipbuilding industry?
What does work, however, is a data-driven approach that starts with the target audience rather than the job vacancy. You first find out who you’re looking for, where that person spends their time online and what message resonates with them, and only then do you launch campaigns and craft copy. At FosFor, this is based on data from hundreds of recruitment campaigns, combined with public labour market data.
Would you like to find out more about data-driven recruitment?
- Recruitment using AI and data
- Takes an average of 3–8 weeks to complete
This method revolves around four steps that you can identify and apply individually:
- Target audience analysis: Identify the professionals you are looking for, where they live and what motivates them to change employers.
- Employer positioning: to craft a compelling narrative that sets the shipyard apart in terms of its culture, projects and craftsmanship, not just wages.
- Channel campaigns: Targeted adverts on Meta, Google, LinkedIn and TikTok, tailored to where the profile is active.
- Measuring and adjusting: Monitor reach, cost per applicant and the quality of the intake on a weekly basis, and adjust the campaign accordingly.
“We see time and again that the difference isn’t in the budget, but in the precision,” says a project manager at FosFor. “If you know exactly what sort of pipe fitter you’re looking for and what motivates them, you need to reach far fewer people to find the right one.” You can read more about this approach on our page about our data-driven approach.
Which roles are the most difficult to fulfil in shipyards?
The most challenging roles in shipyards are those requiring specialist technical skills: certified welders, pipe fitters, ship electricians, sheet metal workers and shipbuilding engineers. For these roles, supply is low and demand is high, meaning that a one-size-fits-all approach almost always falls short.
The best approach varies depending on the profile. The table below will help you determine where to focus your efforts, as the reach and choice of channels vary significantly depending on the role.
| Profile | Main challenge | Most appropriate approach |
|---|---|---|
| Certified welder | Very scarce, often already in permanent employment | Region-specific targeting of latent jobseekers via social media |
| Pipe fitter | Limited range, high level of specialisation | Allocation to projects and materials |
| Marine electrician | Competition from the offshore sector and industry | Distinguished by culture and security |
| Career changers in engineering | Candidate from another sector | Applying existing skills on site |
Recruitment from other sectors deserves special attention. Skilled workers from the construction, engineering or metalworking industries often have transferable skills. With the right message, you can appeal to this group even if they have not previously worked in shipbuilding.
Why is region-specific recruitment so important for shipyards?
Region-specific recruitment is important because most skilled workers want to work close to home, and journey time is a decisive factor. Shipyards are often concentrated in specific areas, from Zeeland to Groningen and Friesland, which means you need to target your campaigns by radius and place of residence rather than on a national basis.
By focusing the campaign on a realistic commuting area, you improve the quality of the applicant pool. You won’t be paying for reach amongst people who would never commute to the site on a daily basis anyway.
How can you reach skilled professionals in the maritime sector who are passively seeking employment?
You can reach skilled professionals who are passively looking for work by targeting them on social media outside the standard job boards, at times when they are not actively searching but are receptive to opportunities. Meta and TikTok work particularly well for blue-collar roles, whilst Google for Jobs and search campaigns capture those candidates who are already exploring their options.
The key is to make your presence felt before anyone decides to apply. An engaging video showing what it’s like to work on site, a specific project story or a highlighted employment benefit often has a greater impact than a traditional job advertisement.
Would you like to see what message resonates with engineers? Our approach to current technical vacancies shows how we translate campaigns into specific roles. And in the results in the maritime sector You can see what a data-driven campaign achieves when profiles are scarce.
What are the benefits of a targeted campaign in terms of speed and cost?
A targeted campaign fills scarce maritime vacancies within 3 to 8 weeks on average, with the client interviewing only the 2 to 4 best candidates per month. FosFor handles the entire pre-selection process, so that you, as an employer, spend less time on applicants who are not suitable.
This makes recruitment marketing a cost-effective alternative to traditional recruitment and selection or secondment, particularly where there is a recurring need for new staff. Rather than incurring one-off costs for job adverts, you build a steady stream of high-quality candidates.
An unfilled vacancy at a shipyard costs money every week: delayed projects, overtime for the existing team and lost revenue. These hidden costs often outweigh the investment in a targeted campaign. Would you like to work out the figures for your own situation? Book a no-obligation strategy meeting.
Frequently asked questions about recruiting staff in the shipbuilding industry
Why is my shipbuilding job advert getting so few responses?
This is usually because the job vacancy does not reach skilled professionals who are passively seeking work: they are not actively looking and do not respond to standard job sites. By using data-driven targeting on social media and tailoring the message to what the profile has in common, you can significantly increase your reach and the quality of the responses.
How long does it take to find a welder or pipe fitter?
With a targeted, data-driven approach, you can fill hard-to-find maritime roles within 3 to 8 weeks on average. The exact timeframe depends on the region, the specialism and the appeal of your employer brand. Region-specific recruitment and clear positioning significantly speed up this process.
Is recruitment marketing cheaper than temporary staffing for shipyards?
For recurring recruitment needs, recruitment marketing is often more cost-effective than temporary staffing or traditional recruitment and selection. You build up a steady flow of candidates rather than paying by the hour or by fee for temporary staff. The best way to compare the options is based on your own cost per hire and recruitment volume.
Does career change work for technical roles on the shipyard?
Yes, lateral recruitment works well for technical roles because skilled workers from the construction, installation engineering or metalworking industries possess transferable skills. By conveying a message that links their existing skills to the work on the shipyard, you’ll appeal to a wider group than just candidates with experience in shipbuilding.
Which channel works best for blue-collar roles in the maritime sector?
Meta and TikTok are working hard to reach skilled professionals who are passively looking for work, whilst Google for Jobs and search campaigns target candidates who are actively looking for a job. The right mix depends on the role and the region. Target audience data determines where your budget will deliver the best return for each role.
Has your vacancy at the shipyard been open for too long? Take a look at from data to the right candidate and find out how a targeted approach can help you find the skilled workers who will take your construction site to the next level more quickly.