Blog: Launching the Diversity in Maritime Interview Pool

Today we are delighted to launch the Diversity in Maritime Interview Pool. Diversity and Inclusion is critical to business because it encourages success.  When success can be achieved by all, regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, people perform better – and that means the business performs better.  Diverse organisations outperform their competitors.

What is the Interview Pool?

We know that creating gender balanced interview panels can be challenging. What if you don’t have a female available to conduct your interviews? What if you don’t even have a female in your business? Or worse still, what if you don’t do anything about this? 

Access other women in the sector to help with your recruitment, enabling gender balanced interview panels to be created.

We know a lot of maritime companies are looking to improve their diversity. We also know we have a lot of people in the sector that want to do something to move this agenda forwards. The Interview Pool is the perfect fit for both. It’s a pioneering diversity and inclusion resource that provides a practical solution and can be a catalyst for change.

I am an organisation, why would I access the Interview Pool?

Simple! To balance your interview panel. A balanced interview panel overcomes the pitfalls of an all-male interview panel, which can create a barrier to new entrants and succumb to bias, both conscious and unconscious.

You can learn more about the benefits of accessing the Interview Pool through our new video found here.

Could I be a volunteer for the Interview Pool? 

Yes! We aren’t asking for HR experts or those with previous interviewing experience. We are keen to access women across the maritime sector who are able to assist organisations balance their interview panels.

As a volunteer we will profile you on our dedicated Interview Pool Volunteer page. You will be automatically added to our Women in Maritime Network which provides access and support to other women in the sector. We also actively encourage you to join the Speaker Bank and our other networks too.

You do not need to have extensive interviewing or recruiting experience. We encourage you to use this as an opportunity to develop a new skill.

Learn more by watching our volunteer video here.

How can I volunteer for the Pool or how can be organisation utilise the Pool?

If you are interested in volunteering to sit on the Interview Pool, click here.

If you are an organisation who is seeking a woman in maritime to balance your interview panel, click here.

Maritime UK’s Diversity Recruitment Working Group will assist with matching an Interview Pool Volunteer with a requesting organisation. The volunteer and organisation will then receive an Interview Pool pack including a confidentiality clause, privacy notice to applicants and guidance notes.