Port of Antwerp-Bruges launched Havenjobs, a platform designed to consolidate all port-related job opportunities to address the challenges of filling vacancies. But then faced another challenge: accurately filtering thousands of interim vacancies. By integrating generative AI, we helped refine job matching, improving both accuracy and user experience, ensuring the port could continue attracting the right talent.
Using AI to match the right talent at Port of Antwerp-Bruges
The challenge
To stay competitive, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges needs a steady flow of skilled workers. Yet many locals aren’t aware of the range of roles available. Previous efforts to promote vacancies were scattered across different stakeholders, making it difficult to connect job seekers with opportunities.
To change this, the Port Authority launched ‘Havenjobs.com’, a digital platform bringing together all port-related vacancies. But a key issue emerged: filtering interim jobs. Standard industry and location-based filtering let through irrelevant roles, meaning critical short-term port jobs were lost in the noise. Accurately surfacing the right roles at scale required a more intelligent solution. One that could go beyond basic job categorization and understand the true nature of each listing.
“Our ambition: create a job-matching platform that doesn't just filter resumes but truly connects the right talent with the right opportunities.”
Thomas De Vos
Innovation strategist | Empathy Lab
Our approach
We needed a solution that could go beyond standard filtering methods. Havenjobs.com was receiving around 15,000 job postings from interim agencies every month, but many were unrelated to the port. Traditional filters based on industry codes and locations weren’t enough – only a more advanced, context-aware approach could ensure genuine port vacancies reached job seekers.
Our strategy focused on three key areas:
- Accuracy – Enhance filtering by using AI to analyse job descriptions and identify port-specific roles.
- Reliability – Ensure critical interim vacancies were correctly included while eliminating irrelevant listings.
- Efficiency – Automate the process to serve Havenjobs.com’s 2,700 monthly users without manual intervention.
Our solution
We integrated generative AI with Havenjobs, layering advanced language models over existing filters. This allowed the platform to:
- Read between the lines – Understanding job descriptions to detect roles relevant to port activities.
- Refine results – Filtering out unrelated positions while capturing essential interim roles.
- Improve over time – Continuously learning to maintain 95% accuracy.
Impact
Havenjobs' AI filtering system has made job matching more accurate and reliable than ever. It helps connect the right people with the right roles, keeping Port of Antwerp-Bruges ahead of the curve in the maritime world.
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