The battle to recruit the most skilled employees and the greatest talents is fierce in the Danish labor market. And it is an uphill struggle for The Blue Denmark, which struggles with lack of awareness and demanding working conditions. That the salary is good no longer matters so much.
Denmark is one of the world’s leading shipping nations, with 740 ships under the Danish flag and even more Danish-operated ships. Combined, this gives Denmark a ninth place on the list of the world’s largest ship operators.
On land, things are also booming. Danish producers of maritime equipment are at the forefront when it comes to green technology, innovation, and high quality.
Lack of Awareness
In fact, it is going so well that recruitment is struggling to keep up. Declining youth cohorts have weakened the recruitment base, while a lack of awareness of the industry makes it difficult to attract the desirable candidates.
“We have a fantastic maritime industry in Denmark. It’s just that incredibly few people know about it – especially among the young. I believe there is a major communication challenge,” says Hans Ubbe Ebbesen, Managing Director at Engineer The Future, which works to give Danish companies access to strong candidates within engineering, IT, and science.
Employer Branding
Hans Ubbe Ebbesen is a specialist in Employer Branding, which is about how a company works strategically with the communication of its brand as a workplace, both internally and externally.
“There is an increased need in The Maritime Denmark for a more strategic effort. A communication that reaches a bit further out, is more persistent, and that really conveys some of the fantastic opportunities we have across The Maritime Denmark. Because people have some traditional perceptions of what an industry offers, and if you don’t work on your Employer Branding, or your core narrative, then you don’t get to tell all the fantastic facets that can exist in an industry. That Maersk is not only about large container ships, but also about data, sustainability, and all sorts of other things,” says Hans Ubbe Ebbesen, who before coming to Engineer The Future last year, was Head of Global Employer Branding at Maersk.
Tough Competition
Jakob le Fevre is CEO and founder of the maritime recruitment company Marpro Group, which, among other things, received Børsen’s gazelle award in 2024. Here, they also feel that it can be difficult to obtain the desired profiles.
“When there is a limited supply of candidates, the candidates’ pressure on companies increases regarding the company’s values, and employer branding comes into play. I simply see that the companies which are clear in their values, treat their employees well, have a good and modern management style, and are not afraid to give a little back to the employees if things are going well – those are the companies that both attract and retain the best employees,” says Jakob le Fevre.
The Core Narrative
“In the old days, you posted a job opening, and then you crossed your fingers and hoped to get some talent in. Today, the talent market has changed in such a way that those who are to apply for jobs have many opportunities to research a potential employer. Therefore, there is a lot at stake for the employer in terms of how they appear,” says Hans Ubbe Ebbesen.
“It’s about much more than just writing a nice story and posting it on your website. It’s also about the fact that it can be very difficult to hide if you are not a good employer.”
Therefore, you should work with your employees regarding what they go around telling about the company”.
“Employer Braining is about sharpening the narrative or core story about the relationship between potential employees and the company. And then it’s about getting it to live across a wide range of touchpoints, interactions, media, social media, websites, and physical meetings”, says Hans Ubbe Ebbesen.
Salary is not everything
Where many previously focused on the size of the salary, there are many other factors that play a role today.
“The times are over when money was the deciding factor for candidates. Today, there is a greater focus on having a balance in private life. The maritime industry is in many places characterized by extensive travel activity, and there are not many young people who desire that anymore, for many different reasons”, says Jakob le Fevre.
“If there is a lot of travel activity, it can be difficult to assign the job to a Dane, but then we have a really good network in Eastern Europe, from where they then work remotely. You cannot work effectively with recruitment for the maritime industry without having a 100% international outreach”, says Jakob le Fevre and explains that Marpro Group today, in addition to the headquarters in Helsingør, has offices in Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Helsingborg – and is planning a new office in Norway.
