mar
Remember this one?
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2001
- Posts
- 1,929
I have a hunch. My gut tells me the pitiful job market has bottomed out. In other words, I think things are about to get better.
Before anyone trounces my optimism I'll admit that I know that American Airlines has announced another furlough. I also realize that another bankruptcy looms around the corner. And that's not all. Another terrorist attack is regarded not just as a possibility but more like an inevitability.
Nevertheless, my friends, there are rumblings from deep within the bowels of airline recruiter's offices--mostly freight.
I take this as a sign. I think it's a sign of a rebounding economy. Maybe that economy isn't American but that doesn't mean it can't be good for us.
So, as I've ridden a couple hiring waves in my short career I'm encouraged to report that I have a hunch that says, Shine your shoes and get a haircut because the games will begin shortly.
And this brings me to my point, finally...
Do you remember several years ago when the hiring was going strong but perfectly good pilots were being rejected from airlines because of ridiculous criteria?
Let's use this thread (albeit according to PilotYip probably two to three years too early) to point out the errors of airline recruiters in the hope of stopping the madness of psychological tests, confrontational interviews, application fees and absurd sim profiles.
I'll start with my favorites:
--Psychological Tests: Why? These are just an added expense and besides what better psychological test is there for being a pilot than slugging it out in a piston twin at night over the mountains or coming from a military background. Doesn't that say enough? Not only that, but we all visit a health professional every six months to a year. There are plenty of other effective screens to filter out pilots with learning disabilities (if you believe these actually exist) and/or various mental disorders.
--Confrontational Interviews: Why? Do you want to get to know us or not? I know, I know, it's just another test to see how bad we really want the job. Unfortunately the result is a class of phonies who have lied to you.
--Application Fees: Why? Oh I forgot, it's a scam to make money off of hungry ambitious pilots. Sick.
--Absurd Sim Profiles: Why? Why especially when the gouge is on the internet and any nerd with a credit card can go buy the sim time and practice until he's got it right or he maxes out his credit card? What does that tell you about his skill or ability to learn quickly? Nothing! Try this instead: Teach the applicant a lesson in the sim based on his experience level. Look for objective criteria such as steady improvement, ability to control airspeed, altitude and heading and solid IFR procedures. If you conduct the same profile for each applicant the only thing you're testing is their credit limit and ability to memorize---Great! That's who I want to fly with...
...what else?...
--Speaking of absurdity: Stop asking questions like, Why do you want to work for ABC and not XYZ. Stop asking us which company value we most associate with. Stop asking us if we've ever broken a regulation or what would we do in the dumbest hypothetical situation. I say again, Do you want to get to know us or not? Don't you understand you're begging us to LIE to you? But simultaneously you'll say, Just relax and be yourself.
Well, which is it? 'Cause I ain't telling you the truth. There are some stories I only tell my closest friends and that's only after an awful lot of whisky.
--Irrelevent questions: If you ask me technical questions about operations that you know I have no experience with then you're just testing my ability to memorize again. Try asking questions about *my* airplane and *my* operations. Then you can gauge the depth of *my* experience and knowledge. Why do I need to know about Mach Tuck and Mach Trim and Deep Stall if I fly a DC6? Sure I can study it and regurgitate the information but what does that say about me? Nothing! Ask me about control tabs! Water injection! Pressurized Carburetors! Then you'll find out what I'm made of.
--Silly Hoops to Jump Thru: Why? Attend this conference...email your resume in this format...join this service...write an essay...Why? Why, I ask? Why can't I just send you a resume, possibly with a recommendation attatched, and if I'm qualified you call me. Almost every other industry does it like that. Which brings me to the oh-so-coveted "Recommendation."
--The Recommendation: This is a double edged sword for everyone. Some airlines use this tool better than others. Let's look at it. A good recommendation says, "I've personally flown with this guy, I know he's a good stick and a great guy, I think he'd fit in really well and do a great job." A bad (in the sense it hurts the hiring process) recommendation says, "This guy is the nephew of my cousin's husband who helped get me a job once so I owe him a favor so I'm gonna forward his stuff 'cause he meets the mins." Believe me, I'm not against recommendations but I am against shortcuts and favoritism.
Well that should get us started. Feel free to contribute what you think is wrong with airline recruitment, selection, hiring and retention
Airline retention. That could be a whole thread all by itself.
Before anyone trounces my optimism I'll admit that I know that American Airlines has announced another furlough. I also realize that another bankruptcy looms around the corner. And that's not all. Another terrorist attack is regarded not just as a possibility but more like an inevitability.
Nevertheless, my friends, there are rumblings from deep within the bowels of airline recruiter's offices--mostly freight.
I take this as a sign. I think it's a sign of a rebounding economy. Maybe that economy isn't American but that doesn't mean it can't be good for us.
So, as I've ridden a couple hiring waves in my short career I'm encouraged to report that I have a hunch that says, Shine your shoes and get a haircut because the games will begin shortly.
And this brings me to my point, finally...
Do you remember several years ago when the hiring was going strong but perfectly good pilots were being rejected from airlines because of ridiculous criteria?
Let's use this thread (albeit according to PilotYip probably two to three years too early) to point out the errors of airline recruiters in the hope of stopping the madness of psychological tests, confrontational interviews, application fees and absurd sim profiles.
I'll start with my favorites:
--Psychological Tests: Why? These are just an added expense and besides what better psychological test is there for being a pilot than slugging it out in a piston twin at night over the mountains or coming from a military background. Doesn't that say enough? Not only that, but we all visit a health professional every six months to a year. There are plenty of other effective screens to filter out pilots with learning disabilities (if you believe these actually exist) and/or various mental disorders.
--Confrontational Interviews: Why? Do you want to get to know us or not? I know, I know, it's just another test to see how bad we really want the job. Unfortunately the result is a class of phonies who have lied to you.
--Application Fees: Why? Oh I forgot, it's a scam to make money off of hungry ambitious pilots. Sick.
--Absurd Sim Profiles: Why? Why especially when the gouge is on the internet and any nerd with a credit card can go buy the sim time and practice until he's got it right or he maxes out his credit card? What does that tell you about his skill or ability to learn quickly? Nothing! Try this instead: Teach the applicant a lesson in the sim based on his experience level. Look for objective criteria such as steady improvement, ability to control airspeed, altitude and heading and solid IFR procedures. If you conduct the same profile for each applicant the only thing you're testing is their credit limit and ability to memorize---Great! That's who I want to fly with...
...what else?...
--Speaking of absurdity: Stop asking questions like, Why do you want to work for ABC and not XYZ. Stop asking us which company value we most associate with. Stop asking us if we've ever broken a regulation or what would we do in the dumbest hypothetical situation. I say again, Do you want to get to know us or not? Don't you understand you're begging us to LIE to you? But simultaneously you'll say, Just relax and be yourself.
Well, which is it? 'Cause I ain't telling you the truth. There are some stories I only tell my closest friends and that's only after an awful lot of whisky.
--Irrelevent questions: If you ask me technical questions about operations that you know I have no experience with then you're just testing my ability to memorize again. Try asking questions about *my* airplane and *my* operations. Then you can gauge the depth of *my* experience and knowledge. Why do I need to know about Mach Tuck and Mach Trim and Deep Stall if I fly a DC6? Sure I can study it and regurgitate the information but what does that say about me? Nothing! Ask me about control tabs! Water injection! Pressurized Carburetors! Then you'll find out what I'm made of.
--Silly Hoops to Jump Thru: Why? Attend this conference...email your resume in this format...join this service...write an essay...Why? Why, I ask? Why can't I just send you a resume, possibly with a recommendation attatched, and if I'm qualified you call me. Almost every other industry does it like that. Which brings me to the oh-so-coveted "Recommendation."
--The Recommendation: This is a double edged sword for everyone. Some airlines use this tool better than others. Let's look at it. A good recommendation says, "I've personally flown with this guy, I know he's a good stick and a great guy, I think he'd fit in really well and do a great job." A bad (in the sense it hurts the hiring process) recommendation says, "This guy is the nephew of my cousin's husband who helped get me a job once so I owe him a favor so I'm gonna forward his stuff 'cause he meets the mins." Believe me, I'm not against recommendations but I am against shortcuts and favoritism.
Well that should get us started. Feel free to contribute what you think is wrong with airline recruitment, selection, hiring and retention
Airline retention. That could be a whole thread all by itself.