Careers and Human Resources Policy
2,500 colleagues across four countries
Brittany Ferries isn’t only a maritime transporter, it’s also a fully-fledged holiday company. It owes its strength and success to every one of the men and women who make up its staff.
Our primary human resources objective is to motivate and retain the talents of each employee, in an effort to grow together in a perpetual determination to satisfy our customers.
Brittany Ferries is a French company with 2,500 employees. Each year, it transports 2,500,000 passengers (83% British), 200,000 freight vehicles, and 800,000 tourist cars between France, Great Britain, Ireland and Spain.
Our recruitment values
Our customers value attentive, welcoming and dynamic staff – people who anticipate their needs and who look after their comfort, well-being and safety.
The demands of sea travel and onboard service require a meticulous approach, and heightened levels of investment in staff. We recruit professional people – specialists in hospitality and service. Each profession, ashore or afloat, plays a crucial part in making our customers’ travel experience flawless. Team spirit is a core quality for anyone wishing to work for the company.
Most duties bring Brittany Ferries’ staff into contact with our predominantly British clientele, so a knowledge of English is essential, however the level of English required varies from one post to another. During recruitment, we test applicants’ level of spoken English, as well as their French.
A guide to professions
SEAGOING PERSONNEL
1. DECK AND ENGINEERING CREW
With 14 professions, the deck and engineering crew are responsible for the maritime operations of the fleet. They also attend to passengers’ safety, working within the company’s rigorous safety regulations. The navigation, maintenance and loading functions encompass the following posts: captain, chief officer, radio & electronic officer, lieutenant, bosun, ordinary seaman, chief engineer, second engineer, mechanical officer, engine room supervisor, electrical supervisor, mechanic and assistant mechanic. Deck and engineering crew are recruited intermittently, dependent on season and fleet deployment (See Job Offers section).
2. HOTEL CREW
The hotel crew’s mission is to provide customers with a range of onboard services, respecting the company’s stringent quality, hygiene and safety standards. Its members join forces with professionalism and a sense of service, to ensure well-being and comfort for all customers.
Several hotel professions are involved, and crew can move between the different hotel and catering departments by way of an internal examination system.
These are the hotel professions represented on board our ships, and for which we recruit each season:
- Reception and sales Steward
- Waiter - Waitress
- Third Chef - Pastry Chef
- Kitchen helper (hand washing) - pantry helper (machine dishwashing)
Seasonal staff commence at Easter and continue until late October.
New recruits generally start in waves, and their numbers increase in line with passengers numbers. They experience the various departments working as a waiter/waitress, steward/stewardess or host/hostess – mobility, open-mindedness and versatility are essential qualities.
During high season, we recruit a number of students to support the crew. These students embark for short periods – the high season closely follows the British holiday season which extends from the end of July until mid-September. 2-3 years’ catering experience is recommended for this role.
3. MEDICAL STAFF
Brittany Ferries’ highest priority is the wellbeing and safety of its passengers. The onboard medical team intervenes in the case of emergencies or when medical care is required. The team liaises closely with the medical authorities ashore, and comes under the responsibility of the head doctor and ship’s captain.
We recruit seasonal nurses (male or female) holding an Infirmier diplômé d’Etat qualification (IDE). We require 3 years’ experience working in a hospital environment within an emergency response or intensive care service. A perfect understanding of the profession is prerequisite, accompanied by impeccable human relations skills, a smart appearance, and a good standard of English.
SHORE-BASED STAFF
In all our terminals:
The mission of the commercial department staff is to welcome, inform, guide and assist customers during their journey, and to assist them in selecting from a wide range of holiday products.
Terminal and port staff members are recruited on seasonal contracts - either part- or full-time. These posts demand a high level of flexibility, with a wide range of roles including both passenger and freight reception, and boarding and disembarkation controls.
Support functions, and Group management and administration:
Based predominantly in the company headquarters in Roscoff, these are employees, managers and senior executives working across four sectors. Recruitment for these roles takes place as and when required. - Administration and finance, accounting - Research and technical - IT - Commercial and operations
For current job offers see www.clic & sea or ouest-france-emploi.com.
Our People
Brittany Ferries - the story of many hundreds of passionate staff members enjoying fulfilling careers
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