Onboarding guide for new yacht charter employees

• 02.02.2026.
• Education

If you work in the nautical industry, you know how quickly the season arrives. And how much it depends on people. From skippers and hostesses, to cleaners and technicians. Without them, there is no yacht charter. That is why the first week of their work is the most important. Will that person “click” with the team, understand what is expected of them, and start working the way they should? They won’t without quality onboarding.

What exactly is onboarding?

Onboarding is not the same as orientation or an introductory meeting. Onboarding is a planned and guided process in which your new employee reaches the point where they know what they do, why they do it, and how they will manage in everyday situations.

In yacht charter, it is not just showing them where your boats are in the marina or telling them “it’s over there”. It means explaining to a new employee where they are coming to, who they will work with, who gives them instructions, how the day is organized, when the break is, what to do when a guest is late, where equipment is stored, and how we behave when a breakdown or a problem happens. It also means explaining what exactly is expected. Not only work tasks, but also the approach to work, the way of communicating, and the attitude toward the team and toward guests. People cannot (and must not) assume things on their own and follow rules that are written nowhere.

If your onboarding works, the person can already start managing on their own in the first week, they do not have to look for instructions from someone every five minutes, they know who to contact if something gets stuck, and they start contributing to the work.

If that process is missing, the new employee will be lost, insecure, afraid of making mistakes, and will have a hard time gaining trust. In the end, that proves more expensive than the time invested in a well-prepared onboarding.

What does a good onboarding process look like for a new employee in yacht charter?

During the season, shift changes, guests, problems, and everything else happen almost simultaneously. That is exactly why you need a good onboarding process, and you mustn't do it “on the side”. It has to be planned and clear enough so that anyone can carry it out, regardless of who is responsible for the new employee.

1. Preparation before arrival

The employee should be sent clear and specific information in advance: the start date, the exact location, the contact person, the working hours on the first day, and what they need to bring. At this stage, it is important to communicate the company rules as well: how you work, what you value, and what matters to you in day-to-day work. If the employee shows up and no one knows they are coming, or they have no idea where to go and who to report to, they will get the impression that you are poorly organized.

2. The first day

You need to welcome the employee. Not in a rush and not “on the side”. You should show where everything is: where the office is, where personal belongings are left, where the tools are, who is responsible for what. Explain the basic routines, when you arrive, what happens if someone on the team is absent, how communication works. Let the employee feel that they have come among people who know what they are doing, and not somewhere where everyone just figures it out as they go.

3. Structure of the first week

Each day should have a clear purpose, which will help the new employee not get lost in a pile of information and tasks. For example:
Monday: getting familiar with documentation and basic procedures.
Tuesday: working in a pair with a more experienced colleague.
Wednesday: practicing communication with guests.
Thursday: handling equipment, cleaning, etc.
Friday: independently carrying out smaller tasks under supervision.

4. Support and check-ins

There must be a person the new employee can turn to, whether a manager, a more experienced colleague, or someone from the office. In the first few days, regularly ask: “Have you found your way around?”, “Is anything unclear?”. Do not wait for the employee to speak up on their own, some will stay quiet and do things incorrectly because they are afraid of seeming incompetent. Set aside a few minutes each day and ask how it is going. Let the employee know that they are not left to fend for themselves.

5. Adjustment and flexibility

Not all employees will respond the same way. Someone is better with guests, someone with paperwork, someone organizes better, and someone worse. If you see that something is not going well, do not immediately conclude that the employee is not cut out for it. Maybe they just need more time or a more detailed explanation. Good onboarding recognizes differences among people and does not treat everyone as if they are coming in with the same experience.

Where do companies most often make mistakes (and how to fix them)?

In yacht charter, it is often assumed that a new employee will figure things out on their own. Especially if they have done the same or a similar job before. But that assumption most often leads to problems, lower efficiency, dissatisfaction, and in the end often the employee leaving.

Here are a few of the most common mistakes and how you can fix them:

1. "They will learn along the way."

This is the most common sentence, and at the same time your most expensive mistake. If a person does not know what, how, and why something needs to be done, they will learn on the go, from whoever is nearby that day and has time to show them something.

Why this is bad:

• The new employee does not know who needs to show them what or when they will learn it.
• They figure it out as best they can, often incorrectly, because they have no support.
• If there is no one to ask, they will assume, which leads to mistakes.
• Over time, their motivation drops.

What to do instead:

• Have a basic schedule for the first week of work.
• Clearly say: “Here are your tasks for today, I am here if you need anything.”
• Set realistic expectations: what they should know by the end of the first day, what by the end of the week.

2. "There is no time for training."

This sentence, translated, means: “We would rather put out fires all season than set aside two days now and do things properly.” And we know how that ends, with mistakes, bad reviews, and resignations.

Why this is bad:

• Initial mistakes are not corrected right away and continue to carry over.
• Employees develop their own work methods that are not aligned with the rest of the team.
• The new team member feels that they are not welcome, but have simply been “thrown into the fire”.

What to do instead:

• Invest quality time in your new employees, and in doing so, in your own business.
• During that period, do not count on full work efficiency.
• Include a mentor or a more experienced employee.

3. "It is obvious what needs to be done."

It is obvious… to you. But the new employee does not know your routine, your space, your way of communicating, your guests, or your criteria for what you call “a job well done”.

Why this is bad:

• The employee does not know what is expected and relies on their own judgment.
• A false belief forms that everything is fine, while in reality problems are piling up.
• Mistakes come to light only when someone else has to fix them.

What to do instead:

• Go through basic work tasks as if seeing them for the first time.
• Show concretely: “This is how we coil the ropes. The equipment goes here. When a guest is late, we call them immediately, and then again after 10 minutes.”
• Encourage questions, but also actively ask them.

4. "If they ask, I will tell them."

This is often said with good intentions, but … Not everyone is equally open, especially not in the first week at a new job.

Why this is bad:

• Many people do not want to seem incompetent, so they would rather stay quiet.
• If no one asks them whether they need help, they convince themselves that this is not the place for them.
• Those employees do not always leave immediately, but they do not stay until the end of the season either.

What to do instead:

• Set a clear communication culture: “With us, it is normal to ask and to say when you do not know something.”
• Agree on short daily check-ins: what went well, where things got stuck, what still needs to be explained.
• Let a supervisor ask questions themselves: “Is there anything that still has not clicked for you?”, “What was the hardest part for you today?”
  
  

Onboarding mistakes are not the result of bad intentions, but because everyone is in a hurry, used to working their own way, and thinks that the new employee will somehow manage. But practice shows that those who manage best are precisely the ones who, from the start, know where they stand, who can help them, and that they are taken seriously from day one.

Examples of good onboarding practices in the nautical sector

Below are examples that show good results. They are not complicated, but they require a bit of willingness and organization. The goal is for a new employee to feel informed, included, and ready to work.

A schedule for the first week of work

A day-by-day plan, printed and posted in a visible place, with bullet points of what is expected each day. The employee immediately sees what will be done on which day, so they do not have to keep asking someone.

Labeled drawers, cabinets, and equipment

Everything used in the company is labeled with a sticker or a simple sign. Example: “guest towels”, “cleaning supplies”, “check-in/check-out”. It makes it easier to find your way around and saves time, especially when something needs to be found quickly.

A WhatsApp group for new employees

A group containing basic information: mentors’ phone numbers, a list of useful links, marina locations, contacts for emergencies. It serves as quick support, especially in the first weeks when people do not dare to ask everything in person.

Working in a pair with an experienced team member

The new employee works for the first few days alongside a colleague who is already established in the job. That way they will more easily learn how things really work, with much less stress.

A welcome start package

A box or a bag with basic items: a work T-shirt, a notebook, a bottle of water, instructions, a company logo keychain, etc… The point is not the gift, but to show that you have taken care of the basic things they will need.

A short orientation video

A video recorded on a phone, nothing professional, that can show the rooms, procedures, where things are left, who is who on the team. The employee can watch the video before arrival and come more confident because they know where they are coming and who will be waiting for them.

A mentor for each new employee

The mentor should be concrete support for the new employee, checking how things are going, answering questions, and tracking progress. It is best if this is not the boss, but someone from the operational part of the team with more experience (and patience).

Weekly meetings

Informal, short get-togethers for everyone who is new. The week is reviewed: what was clear, what was not, what should be explained further.

Why is good onboarding important in the long run?

Introducing a new person to the job does not end after the first day or the first week. What happens in the first week often determines what the whole year will look like.

If an employee starts off insecure and without support, there is a high chance that they will do only what they have to, without initiative, without trust in the team, and without a sense of belonging. But if you approach them properly from the start, you will get a person who knows where they are, what they need to do, and how to behave in everyday and exceptional situations.

Good onboarding shows what kind of relationship you have with people, how much you care about the work, and how seriously you approach it.

An employee who is well introduced to the job:

• Knows exactly who to contact when something is not clear.
• Has a clear schedule, understands daily and weekly tasks.
• Does not hide mistakes, but resolves them immediately and openly.
• Connects faster with the rest of the team and contributes to joint work.
• Is not afraid to take responsibility when the situation requires it.
• Asks questions without fear.
• Feels valued, not like they are just “another in a line”.

For you, that means:

• Fewer mistakes in work that later have to be corrected.
• Fewer guest complaints due to poor organization or communication.
• More stability in the team because people stay, instead of leaving mid-season.
• Easier organization of shifts and tasks because employees are more independent.
• Better reviews, because a guest always feels when a team functions well.

What happens when there is no onboarding process?

• The employee arrives, looks around, sees that there is no one to ask a question, and keeps quiet.
• They do what they think is correct, even though it may not match your standards.
• They make a mistake, and then get criticized without anyone having explained what exactly was expected.
• They start working with discomfort, avoid responsibility, wait for the shift to end, and watch the clock.
• In the end, they say they do not want to work for you anymore, and you are left short-staffed.

A good onboarding procedure does not have to be complex. What matters is the purpose, sensible rules that everyone can follow, and a person who will oversee whether onboarding actually works.

 

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