There’s no shortage of advice out there for how crew should prepare for interviews, but what about the people on the other side of the video call? Or the aft deck? Or awkwardly huddled around a galley table with a lukewarm espresso?

Let’s talk about how you - the Captain, HOD, or senior crew - can get the most out of a candidate interview.

What’s the Point of This Chat Again?

If you’re interviewing someone, you (hopefully) already:
🔹 Read their CV
🔹 Checked their quals
🔹 Checked their refs
🔹 Know roughly what they’ve done and what they’re applying for

The goal of the interview isn’t to rehash their LinkedIn. It’s to figure out:
1. Can they do the job you need them to do?
2. Will they work well with the rest of your team?

The CV is the blueprint. The interview is about finding out if the building is structurally sound - or a complete cowboy job held together by zip ties and hope.

Yes, winging it can work - but usually you just end up saying “So… tell me about yourself?” and forgetting everything you actually needed to know.

Quick tips:
🔹 Highlight anything odd, interesting, or missing on their CV
🔹 Note questions you want to ask
🔹 Keep their file/CV in front of you — don’t rely on memory

Break the Ice (Properly)

Start light. Ask how they got into yachting. Ask about their favourite boat/job. Get them talking about something familiar to ease the nerves and loosen things up.

Once you’ve got a bit of rapport, go deeper:
🔹 What were their biggest challenges in past roles?
🔹 What do they want long-term?
🔹 What kind of team culture brings out their best?

Standard questions have their place - but if you want to see how someone really thinks, throw in something that tests their self-awareness.

Try:

“What’s something you struggled with in a past role, and how did you overcome it?”

Or the classic:

“What’s one strength your previous captain or HOD would praise - and one thing they’d say you need to work on?”

Watch how they respond. Confidence is great. Humility and self-awareness? Even better.

A good candidate will have questions too. In fact, encourage it. Ask:

"What would you like to know about the boat, the team, or the role?"

This tells you whether they’ve done their homework - and whether they’re curious about fit, not just salary.

Also ask about hobbies, previous non-yacht work, and hidden skills. You might find a stew who’s a social media wizard, or a deckie who moonlights as a drone pilot. These things matter.

If you’re the Captain interviewing for an interior or deck role, loop in the Chief Stew or Bosun. Even better - let them vet the shortlist first. You want your HODs to have ownership over their departments, and they’ll spot red flags you might not.

Some yachts (especially smaller ones) like to invite potential crew for a casual drink or team dinner post-interview. Not to get them drunk - but to see how they vibe with the team.

Because let’s face it: you will be stuck on a boat together. Sharing walls thinner than a tortilla. Possibly with a vacuum cleaner running at 06:00.

There’s no single “correct” way to interview in yachting. What matters is that you:
🔹 Prepare
🔹 Stay curious
🔹 Stay human
🔹 Pay attention to more than just answers — watch energy, attitude, and self-awareness

Some of the best crew don’t shine in the first 60 seconds - but once relaxed, show up as absolute gems. Create the space for that to happen.

And if you want a few tried-and-tested questions, or a sounding board for candidate decisions - drop me a line.

Happy hiring. May your next interview be less awkward than that time the bosun spilled a flat white on the new stew.

✨ For more no-nonsense tips and honest advice at every stage of your yachting journey, check out Superyacht Life: How to Start, Succeed, & Stay Sane by Erica Lay - available 1st October on Amazon.