How Profiles Asia Pacific Tripled IMEC’s Applicant Processing Capabilities

The International Maritime Employers’ Council Ltd. (IMEC) finds cadet opportunities for Filipinos to serve on ships that travel around the world, facilitating smoother global supply chain logistics and more seamless global ocean movement overall.

The IMEC is committed to the well-being of seafarers, representing approximately 270 shipping companies worldwide and handling collective bargaining and welfare initiatives. Currently, they sponsor approximately 1,000 scholars eager to join maritime fleets.

We spoke with Dan Tolentino, an IMEC training manager, to better understand how Profiles Asia Pacific products help the IMEC process candidates more efficiently to produce higher-quality cadets.

The search for a robust examination partner

Thanks to the IMEC’s prestigious reputation, coupled with the fact that recruits are admitted on scholarship, the competition is fierce. Tolentino was overwhelmed with the number of applicants every year and so began to search for a solution that would help him find and vet the best candidates more quickly.

“I heard about Profiles even before I was at IMEC — I learned about them at my old company, where we had an increasing number of applications and an insufficient recruitment team. So, I looked online for reputable companies that can give online examinations.” — Dan Tolentino, IMEC training manager

According to Tolentino, they were seeking a third party to manage the examination process for seafaring applicants. It was Profiles Asia Pacific’s impressive track record and ability to deliver a robust examination process that made us their first choice among the 10 services they evaluated.

“When I transferred to IMEC in 2016, my main agenda was to get Profiles as our provider, since we were also processing applicants in-house when I arrived. I had a goal to increase the number of cadets and applicants we processed, so we needed an examination that was stricter and more precise. I needed an expert company, and I know Profiles is up to that standard.” — Dan Tolentino, IMEC training manager

After viewing the presentation of what Profiles Asia Pacific offered, Tolentino was confident we could meet IMEC’s stringent standards. Data security and privacy were crucial in the decision-making process, and we provide strong data security assurances and have maintained effective communication throughout the partnership, which is going on seven years with no significant issues.

Tripling IMEC’s applicant processing capabilities

“Once we started using Profiles, one of the major differences we saw immediately was we were able to start gathering data in a more precise manner. Thanks to that data we are able to make more data-driven decisions, for example knowing which provinces to target.” — Dan Tolentino, IMEC training manager

Before Profiles Asia Pacific, the IMEC was able to conduct between 700 and 1,000 examinations per intake. After engaging our services, they’re now able to process 3,000 examinations consistently, tripling their candidate processing capabilities.

“In 2016, our examinations were still on pen and paper…. In 2017, when Profiles came in, it became more formalized, and examinations jumped from 1,000 to 3,000.” — Dan Tolentino, IMEC training manager

This upgrade significantly improved their ability to select the best candidates and streamlined their operations, particularly during the pandemic, when the need to shift to online methods became apparent.

With only a team of five, Profiles Asia Pacific enabled the IMEC to handle the increased volume and logistical challenges, transitioning smoothly to online examinations by 2019.

Enhancing security and data privacy

“Data privacy is very stringent, so we were looking for a company that could manage the security rules implemented in the Philippines and on the outside.” — Dan Tolentino, IMEC training manager

Prior to contracting with Profiles Asia Pacific, the IMEC used Google Meet for assessments, which had limitations in security and data analytics. We assisted their shift from written examinations to more secure online processes so they could continue to accept candidates even during the pandemic.

We also enabled more accurate data collection, in turn facilitating data-driven decisions and focused recruitment strategies.

“Profiles is very open to feedback, and for our company, it’s extremely important that our partners are perceptive to our needs, and Profiles delivers what we need.” — Dan Tolentino, IMEC Training Manager

Tolentino rates his satisfaction with Profiles Asia Pacific a 9.9 out of 10, appreciating the feedback mechanism and our responsiveness to the IMEC’s needs. He also rates technical support a 9.5, especially for our prompt support in emergency situations.

During the pandemic, the IMEC utilized Profiles Asia Pacific for mental health assessments as well and is looking into different assessments to benchmark exams and evaluate cadet levels.

Looking forward to further collaboration

“In the last 6 or 7 years I’ve been here at IMEC, there have been no major issues that have arisen from Profiles. It’s a very good partnership.” — Dan Tolentino, IMEC training manager

Tolentino strongly endorses Profiles Asia Pacific, citing the trust built over the years and satisfaction with their flexibility, efficiency, and support. He plans to enlist our services for behavioral examinations in a corporate social responsibility project, along with other assessments to address educational deficiencies in mathematics and science among cadets.

If your company would like to streamline your application process, optimize training and succession planning, build stronger teams, and foster top performers, partner with Profiles Asia Pacific to run eye-opening assessments.