Human-first. Global. Forward-thinking.
World-class recruitment and talent advisory for shipping, maritime, energy solutions, supply chain, logistics and associated industries.
Where emotional intelligence meets strategic hiring.
EQ8 Recruit
Great recruitment has never been about volume. It is about connection, insight and understanding what drives people. EQ8 Recruit blends founder-led expertise with modern talent intelligence to secure exceptional global talent and strengthen your long-term workforce strategy.
EQ8 Recruit is a founder-led talent ecosystem built on one core belief. Recruitment works best when partnerships are personal, communication is transparent and people feel understood.
With two decades of global experience, EQ8 delivers high-impact recruitment across maritime, shipping, energy and supply chain sectors. The approach is simple. Human intelligence first, supported by smart technology and thoughtful advisory.
Based in Cape Town, South Africa with worldwide reach, EQ8 offers agility, cost-effectiveness and deep market knowledge. This is recruitment without the noise. A modern, intelligent partnership that puts human connection at the centre.
Behind the scenes, we have been strengthening how we use data, market insight and candidate engagement to help clients hire with more clarity and less rework.
I believe recruitment is one of the most meaningful responsibilities in business. Every decision influences a person’s life, a company’s direction and a team’s culture. It deserves honesty, clarity and respect.
My approach is grounded in communication and connection. I listen carefully, ask direct questions and create an environment where people feel informed and supported. I navigate the process with calm professionalism and a strong focus on clarity at every stage.
I value long-term relationships, thoughtful decision-making and representing clients and candidates with integrity. Recruitment should feel considered, human and steady — never rushed or transactional.
— Tracey Shearer, Founder, EQ8 Recruit
The EQ8 Talent Framework
EQ8 Dedic8
EQ8 Dedic8 is our core recruitment service, delivered through dedicated, high-touch partnerships. It covers both exclusive contingent recruitment and retained executive search, with every assignment led and overseen by the founder.
Dedic8 is built on partnership rather than volume. By working exclusively and collaboratively, noise is reduced, communication improves and roles are represented with clarity, consistency and respect.
Dedic8 allows EQ8 Recruit to operate as an extension of the hiring team, focused on outcomes rather than transactions.
EQ8 Elev8
EQ8 Elev8 is EQ-led digital training built around emotional intelligence as the golden thread through all learning. Emotional intelligence is treated as a practical, trainable capability that directly influences how people perform, communicate and progress in their careers.
Technology enables agility — allowing content to be built, branded and adapted quickly as client needs evolve, without training becoming outdated or generic. EQ8 Elev8 sits within the wider EQ8 ecosystem, ensuring learning is informed by real organisational challenges and changing workforce demands.
EQ8 Circul8
EQ8 Circul8 is a full-circle diagnostic of the entire talent ecosystem. It starts from a simple but often unexamined question: if people are your greatest asset, how effectively are you attracting, onboarding, developing and retaining them?
Circul8 looks beyond recruitment alone, examining the full cycle of talent — from hiring and onboarding, through training and development, to how data, systems, automation and cost are managed across the lifecycle. It assesses how tools, technology and processes are being used today, and where smarter, more connected solutions can strengthen outcomes.
Circul8 creates clarity across the whole circle of talent, providing a practical foundation for informed decisions around recruitment strategy, training, talent intelligence and technology adoption.
EQ8 Valid8
EQ8 Valid8 reflects how we see recruitment beyond the hire. It introduces structured post-placement engagement to ensure roles embed properly, expectations remain aligned and early warning signs are identified before they become problems.
Valid8 focuses on communication, feedback and follow-through after placement, recognising that long-term hiring success depends on what happens once a candidate starts. It supports both clients and individuals during the critical early stages of employment, where small issues can otherwise go unnoticed.
EQ8 Puls8
EQ8 Puls8 is a living talent intelligence and nurture ecosystem designed to keep talent data active, current and meaningful. Rather than static databases that age quickly, Puls8 enables ongoing engagement, insight gathering and real-time updates, creating a dynamic view of talent over time.
EQ8 Puls8 can be implemented for client organisations to support their own talent pools — from specialist technical roles to leadership talent — helping businesses understand who they have, where they sit, and how ready they are to move or develop.
Puls8 transforms stored CVs into usable intelligence, supporting more informed, proactive hiring and workforce planning decisions.
EQ8 Orient8
EQ8 Orient8 focuses on the onboarding and early integration phase, where clarity, communication and support have the greatest impact. It looks at how new hires experience their first weeks and months, and how well organisations support connection, understanding and alignment during this critical period.
Orient8 can incorporate surveys, feedback loops and automated touchpoints — not only for candidates placed by EQ8 Recruit, but across wider teams — using technology to support smoother onboarding and stronger early engagement. This forms part of EQ8’s evolving approach to post-hire care and talent experience.
EQ8 Collabor8
EQ8 Collabor8 is a women-led listening forum designed to surface real, lived challenges in talent, leadership and work. It brings together small, intentional circles of HR and L&D leaders for honest, facilitated conversations that go beyond theory and into reality.
Collabor8 exists to listen before solutions are designed. Insights gathered through these sessions inform EQ8’s wider ecosystem, ensuring that future training, advisory and talent initiatives are grounded in what organisations and leaders are actually experiencing.
Strategic hiring for future-focused organisations.
Traditional recruitment is reactive. EQ8 Recruit offers a more intelligent approach. Founder-led expertise supported by diagnostics, communication clarity and candidate care.
Sector Expertise
shipping and maritime
energy solutions
oil & gas
supply chain and logistics
engineering
mining
senior appointments and leadership roles
Permanent Recruitment
A founder-led search process that prioritises cultural alignment, emotional intelligence and long-term fit. EQ8 acts as your ambassador, advocating your opportunity to the right talent.
Executive Search
Precision-led, discreet and strategic. A trusted partnership approach anchored in insight, assessment and deep market experience.
Additional Services
CV processing
salary benchmarking
criminal and credit checks
psychometric and skills testing
bespoke recruitment campaigns
recruitment process advisory
talent-pipeline design
If you want a recruitment partner who thinks beyond the vacancy, start a conversation.
Your career. Your story. Your ambitions.
At EQ8 Recruit, candidates are treated as partners. Your aspirations matter, and your experience shapes the way we work.
You will always receive:
honest communication
clear expectations
timely feedback
confidentiality and respect
a human-centred experience
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Our Vision
To build transformative partnerships through integrity, intelligence and innovation.
Our Mission
To nurture meaningful partnerships grounded in mutual success and future-focused strategy.
These principles guide every search, every conversation, every decision.
Our Values
Transparency and Communication
Sincerity and Respect
Resourcefulness and Bespoke Thinking
Integrity and Wisdom
Innovation and Agents of Change
Astute and Nimble
These principles guide every search, every conversation, every decision.