100,000 registered users for Yotspot, the Southampton recruiter helping job seekers make a sea change

Fans of the hit show Below Deck, which chronicles the lives of crew aboard a superyacht, might have wondered how somebody gets into that line of work in the first place.

Enter Yotspot, the job board supplying some of the world’s largest and most exclusive private yachts with everything from deckhands to captains.

Daryl and Steve. Credit: Yotspot

Southampton’s Steve Crawford founded the company alongside business partner Daryl Bradley, and together they’ve been connecting people with positions for the past 13 years.

And the hard work has clearly paid off, as the team at Yotspot is now celebrating 100,000 registered crew members.

Danielle McLaren, who took on the role of Managing Director last year, has been instrumental in achieving the latest milestone.

She said: “Our platform enables job seekers to create a profile and upload their CVs, and for employers to find the team they require for running a superyacht.

“There are a surprising number of roles available on board these yachts, including deckhands, stewards, bosuns, chefs, cleaners, engineers, housekeepers, paramedics, officers and captains. We also list related land-based roles.

“Some superyachts have a staff of 25 or more, which gives an indication of the size of vessels. They are generally between 30m and 120m.”

Thanks to its significant investment in tech and a regularly updated verification and reference programme, Yotspot knows how to stay ahead of the competition.

The company recruits from and provides for clients all over the world, with some users finding work mere hours after registering.

For Danielle, 100,000 members is just the beginning: “We are anticipating further quick growth in the business this year and beyond, and hope to add to our team in Southampton.”

There’s good reason to be optimistic. Production of superyachts is currently at an all-time high, and the industry turns over more than £20 billion each year, half of which is centred in Europe.

Co-owners Daryl and Steve have shared a clip to celebrate the team’s latest achievement: