Most job adverts are written to filter people out.
In 2026, the best ones are written to pull the right people in by showing the problems they’ll solve, the skills they’ll build, and the future value of joining you now.
Because candidates (especially high performers) are making a simple calculation:
“Will this role grow me… or just use me?”
And in an AI-rich world, where tasks are changing fast, the “career-proofing” question is only getting louder.
Why skills-based attraction is winning in maritime
Traditional adverts over-index on:
a long list of duties
years of experience
niche systems/sector keywords
“must have” requirements that are actually “nice to have”
The result? You attract people who match a checklist, not people who can deliver outcomes.
Skills-based attraction flips the emphasis. It says:
Here’s what success looks like
Here are the problems you’ll tackle
Here are the skills you’ll build as you do it
Here’s how we’ll support you (and how you’ll progress)
That’s more compelling for candidates, and more useful for hiring managers.
What to sell instead of “responsibilities”
If you want better applicants, write the advert around these four things.
1) The mission of the role
In one sentence: why this role exists.
Good:
“You’ll ensure vessels are commercially optimised across X region while protecting schedule integrity and customer outcomes.”
Not:
“Responsible for chartering activities and commercial operations…”
2) The problems to solve (3–5)
This is the heart of skills-based attraction. Problems are tangible, interesting, and self-select the right people.
Examples (adjust to role type):
Reducing turnaround delays without compromising safety or cost control
Improving forecast accuracy for maintenance planning across a mixed fleet
Embedding a consistent approach to vendor performance and contract compliance
Building an internal talent pipeline for hard-to-hire technical functions
Creating decision-ready dashboards from messy operational data
3) The skills you’ll build (5–7)
Make growth explicit. If AI is changing workflows, name the “human-plus” skills that will matter.
Examples:
Stakeholder management across technical, commercial and shore teams
Data fluency: translating operational data into decisions
Process improvement and standardisation
Risk-based decision making under time pressure
Influencing without authority
Using AI tools responsibly to speed up analysis, documentation, or reporting (where appropriate)
4) What “good” looks like in 90 days and 12 months
This removes uncertainty and increases conversion.
First 90 days: what they’ll learn, who they’ll work with, what they’ll deliver
By 12 months: the outcomes they’ll own, improvements they’ll lead, credibility they’ll have built
The AI-shaped expectation you can’t ignore
Candidates don’t need you to claim you’re “AI-powered”.
They need to know:
whether the role will stay relevant as automation increases
whether you invest in learning (tools, time, support)
whether the role builds transferable skills, not just task repetition
A simple line helps:
“We’re redesigning work to remove low-value admin and free people up for higher-value problem solving and we’ll support you to build data and AI literacy as part of the role.”
That’s career-proofing. It’s also a strong signal of leadership maturity.
What to keep (and what to cut) in a skills-based advert
Keep
Clear outcomes
5–7 skills that genuinely predict performance
“Nice to have” separated from “must have”
Practical info: location expectations, travel, rotation patterns, flexibility reality
How the team works and makes decisions
Cut
Laundry lists of 20+ responsibilities
Inflated years-of-experience requirements
Buzzwords (“fast-paced”, “self-starter”) without evidence
Excessive tool lists (unless truly essential)
How to write skills-based criteria that don’t exclude great people
A common mistake is swapping “years” for “skills”, but still writing skills like hard gates.
Instead, write them as evidence you’d expect to see, e.g.:
“You can show how you improved an operational process and measured the impact.”
“You’ve influenced stakeholders with competing priorities to reach a decision.”
“You can turn unclear requirements into a structured plan.”
This broadens the pool without lowering standards.
BEFORE (traditional)
Job Title: Operations Manager
Overview: We are seeking an experienced Operations Manager to join our team.
Responsibilities:
Manage daily operations
Support the commercial team
Ensure compliance with company policies
Liaise with internal and external stakeholders
Produce reports and documentation
Ad hoc duties as required
Requirements:
8+ years’ experience in maritime operations
Strong communication skills
Ability to work under pressure
Proficient in MS Office
Team player
What we offer: Competitive salary and benefits.
AFTER (skills-based)
Job Title: Operations Manager (Fleet / Regional)
Role mission: You’ll keep operations running smoothly across [fleet/region], improving schedule reliability and customer outcomes while balancing safety, cost, and crew/vessel constraints.
The problems you’ll solve:
Improve schedule integrity by reducing avoidable delays and handover gaps
Strengthen coordination between technical, commercial, and shore teams to speed up decisions
Increase the quality and consistency of operational reporting so leaders can act faster
Identify recurring operational risks and implement practical fixes with measurable impact
Skills you’ll build in this role:
Cross-functional stakeholder management (technical, commercial, shore, external partners)
Data fluency: turning operational data into decision-ready insights
Process improvement and standardisation across multiple routes/vessels
Risk-based decision making under time pressure
Clear written communication for reports, briefings, and incident follow-ups
Optional: using AI tools responsibly to speed up reporting and analysis (training provided)
What good looks like:
First 90 days: You’ll learn the operational rhythm, map where delays and rework occur, and deliver 2 quick improvements with the team.
By 12 months: You’ll own a measurable uplift in (schedule reliability/turnaround time/reporting quality) and be the go-to operator for complex operational decisions.
What we’re looking for (evidence-based):
You can show where you’ve improved an operational process and measured the outcome
You’ve worked across competing stakeholder priorities and built alignment
You’re confident in making decisions with imperfect information and communicating them clearly
Maritime operations experience is helpful; comparable complex logistics/asset environments are also relevant
Practicalities:
Location: [x] (hybrid expectations: [y])
Travel: [z]
Benefits: [top 3 most meaningful items]
