No, I'm not sure where you heard about the lack of recommendations, but the referrals were taken last time, and were part of the equation on whether or not to interview someone. I talked to our outgoing chief pilot last month and he described how it worked, with a point system being used for ratings, flight time, experience, and recommendations. Everyone hired last year (about 80) had some personal connection to people already here. Admittedly, since many were ex-Aloha, it was easy for them to walk into the CP's office and get themselves known too. But to get on here not only takes a solid resume & flight time, but knowing an HA employee too.
HAL