Frequently Asked Questions

For Shipping Companies

How do I post a job vacancy on AppStaff?

Sign in to your company account, open the Post a Vacancy section in your dashboard, and fill in the position, vessel type, contract length, rotation, and required certificates (STCW, GMDSS, tanker endorsements, etc.). Once submitted, the listing is reviewed by our team within one business day and goes live to matching candidates. You can edit, pause, or close any vacancy at any time without re-submitting.

Can other shipping companies see the vacancies I post?

No. Vacancies are visible only to verified seafarer candidates and to your own company account. Other shipping companies and crewing agencies cannot browse, search, or even confirm the existence of your job posts. This isolation is enforced at the database level, not just hidden in the UI, so competitors cannot scrape your salary ranges or rotation patterns.

How do the candidate filters work?

Filters combine hard criteria and soft preferences. Hard criteria include rank, vessel type experience, valid certificates and their expiry dates, flag state restrictions, and language proficiency. Soft preferences include nationality preference (where legally permitted), age band, last vessel size, and earliest availability date. Results are ranked by match score, not by who paid for promotion, so a stronger candidate always appears above a weaker one.

Is there a limit on how many vacancies or shortlists I can have?

Standard accounts can keep up to 25 active vacancies and 500 shortlisted candidates at any time. Closed or archived listings do not count toward the limit. Fleet operators with larger pipelines can request a higher quota from their account manager.

For Recruiters & Crewing Agencies

Can I list candidates on AppStaff as an agency?

Yes. Crewing agencies can create candidate profiles on behalf of seafarers they represent, provided the seafarer has given written consent. Each candidate is tagged to your agency, and any shipping company contacting the candidate is routed through your agency inbox first. You stay in the loop on every interview, offer, and contract.

Can other agencies see my candidate roster?

No. Just as shipping companies cannot see each other's vacancies, agencies cannot see each other's candidate rosters. A candidate you have listed will not appear in another agency's search results, and no agency-to-agency contact is possible through the platform. Shipping companies see the candidate, but the agency relationship is preserved.

What file types are accepted for resumes and certificates?

We accept PDF, DOC, DOCX for CVs and resumes, and PDF, JPG, PNG for scanned certificates, seaman's books, and passport pages. Each file must be under 10 MB. Documents are scanned for malware on upload and stored in encrypted form. Expired certificates are flagged automatically and the candidate is prompted to upload a renewal.

How quickly are new candidate profiles verified?

Standard verification takes one to two business days and covers identity, key certificates, and at least one previous employer reference. Agencies with a track record on the platform get fast-track verification, typically under four hours during European working hours.

Accounts & Privacy

Who can see my email address?

By default, no one. Candidate emails are masked, and all initial contact happens through the AppStaff inbox. A candidate's real email becomes visible to a shipping company only after the candidate accepts a contact request, and to no one else, ever. Shipping company recruiter emails work the same way: visible to the candidates they engage with, hidden from the rest of the platform.

What personal data does AppStaff store, and why?

For seafarers we store: contact details, sea service record, certificates, references, and uploaded documents. For company users we store: contact details, company registration data, and vacancy history. We do not sell data to third parties, we do not run ad networks, and we do not share your profile with companies you have not engaged with.

Can I delete my account and all my data (GDPR right to erasure)?

Yes. From Account Settings - Privacy you can request full deletion. Within 30 days we erase your profile, uploaded documents, message history, and references from the live platform. The only retained items are records we are legally required to keep, such as anonymised billing entries for tax purposes, and these contain no usable personal data. You can also request a full export of your data in JSON format before deletion.

Is AppStaff GDPR-compliant for non-EU users?

Yes. We apply GDPR-grade protections to every account regardless of nationality or flag state, because most maritime careers cross multiple jurisdictions in a single year. That means right to access, right to correction, right to portability, and right to erasure for every user on the platform.