Salary Survey & Benchmarking Case Study: Global Ship Owner
Business Type: Global Ship Owner
Locations: Norway
Roles covered in the Salary Survey: Technical Superintendent, Junior Operator, Senior Operator and Senior Business Development
Key stakeholders: Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
Faststream Recruitment Representatives: Nic Jones, Group Marketing Director, Sebastian Zuliani, Associate Director and Robert Legg, Principal Consultant
A global ship owner approached Faststream Recruitment to carry out a targeted salary survey. The client has a strong commitment to attracting and retaining top talent in a highly competitive market. The project was led by the organisation’s CHRO, working in partnership with our consultants Sebastian Zuliani, Robert Legg, and Nic Jones.
The Challenge
The client was already using other providers for general salary data, covering the broader industry and maritime sector. However, they found these data sets too wide-ranging and not reflective of their direct talent competitors, specifically those most likely to recruit their people or be targeted for hiring.
This created a gap in actionable compensation intelligence. They needed a consultancy with maritime expertise, live access to the relevant market, and the ability to focus on a specific group of comparable businesses.
The goal: to produce a customised salary and benefits report that could directly inform strategy.
The Solution
Faststream developed a bespoke salary survey focusing on four key roles: Technical Superintendent, Junior Operator, Senior Operator, and Senior Business Development. The approach combined market-specific data with expert insight and included:
Salary Benchmarking: Detailed minimum, median, and maximum salary levels per role
Experience-Based Analysis: Commentary on salary progression based on years of experience
Salary Movement Trends: Data on salary increases observed when professionals move between companies at a similar level
Comprehensive Benefits Review, covering: Bonus, LTIPs, Life and Medical Insurance, Annual Leave Entitlements, Maternity and Paternity Leave, Wellbeing Benefits, Pension Contributions, and Notice Periods
Candidate Behaviour Insights: Commentary on which benefits are most valued by job seekers
Talent Pool Mapping: Insights into common geographic hiring pools and relocation package trends
The Results
The tailored survey delivered real value to the client, including:
Clear Benchmarking: Gave leadership confidence in making pay and benefits adjustments based on relevant competitor data
Retention Support: Enabled more effective retention planning by identifying gaps in benefits and compensation
Enhanced Hiring Decisions: Geographic insights supported smarter international recruitment strategies
Data-Driven Confidence: Equipped the HR team with the information needed to engage leadership and influence compensation strategy
This project exemplifies how a focused, industry-specific salary survey can provide more meaningful insights than generic data sets, especially when competition for talent is high and every hiring decision counts.
What next?
We help businesses like yours make smarter, data-driven decisions about pay and benefits. Let’s work together on your next salary survey.
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