Testing to see if ship captains are emotionally capable of dealing with a crisis should be used throughout the cruise industry to prevent another Costa Concordia tragedy, an industry expert has said.
Following news that the disaster has prompted a number of cruise lines to review the behaviour of senior officers, with some captains relieved of their duty, business consultant Michael Wood, who has worked for companies including Fred Olsen, said that psychometric testing of crew ought to be widespread.
When he was sales and marketing director at Norwegian cruise and ferry company Color Line, Wood said that one captain was relieved of his duty following a DISC assessment, which analysed behaviour to reveal how well people can cope in a disaster.
“People can act perfectly calmly in a normal situation, but when they are confronted with a crisis, their personality can change and people act in different ways,” said Wood.
The assessment found that one of Color Line’s captains, despite having an unblemished record, would be better suited elsewhere in the company rather than being in charge of a ship.
Wood cited an incident in 1999 with a ferry called the Sleipner, which was travelling between Stavanger and Bergen, and which hit the rocks, killing around 14 people.
After the ferry hit the rocks, Wood said: “The captain froze, literally. He was transfixed, like a rabbit in the headlights.”
Captains in Norway who have an incident like that “won’t go back to sea”, explained Wood. “You lose your licence.”
“Psychometric profiling is used increasingly to see how people react in a situation,” he continued.
“You need to have the right people in a team and ensure that they are capable in the event of a crisis. If they haven’t got the skills to hold authority in a crisis, they will be found out.”
Penny Guy from the Passenger Shipping Association said: “The use of psychometric testing by cruise ship operators is increasing and some companies have incorporated these into their recruitment, promotion and development processes.
“When considered alongside appraisals, testimonials, qualifications and experience, they help to develop a picture of an officer and are very useful for guiding questioning during interview.”
Guy added: “Psychometric testing identifies the behaviours that an individual is likely to display and by improving an individual’s self-awareness of strengths to be utilised and behaviours to check, it can be a good tool for personal development.”