Originally Posted by
flynow
I believe the vast majority of applicants do meet the minimums when they apply. FedEx and SWA does not allow you to proceed with the process unless you meet their mins. And your are correct that most applicants apply to multiple carriers as they do not have the luxury of choosing a particular carrier they would like to work for.
Management does not need to inflate the numbers of applicants as they know they have the upper hand now and for foreseeable future. Like most things in life it's all about timing. Supply and demand is just not in our favor today.
I've had this discussion with close friends of mine at XJT. Only a small number want to work at one airline, most like myself apply to all and see what happens.
As far as "Not meeting the minimums" only FedEx, if I remember correctly, won't even let you on the application page if you do not meet the minimums. Most airlines just state the minimums and let you apply anyways.
Interestingly enough, a friend of mine at CAL had a discussion with the HR people about applicants and hiring. Turns out that yes, an airline like CAL does recieve a high number of applicants, but a good number can be washed out almost immediately: 3 DUIs, pending FAA certificate action, 59 years old (back when it was Age 60 rule) 5 checkride failures, on probation for drug smuggling charges, 300 hour person hoping their race/gender/good ol' boy status would get them on................and the list goes on and on. When you whittle down the number of reasons you wouldn't hire someone, the number of viable applicants is much less than it seems.