Originally Posted by
Timberdux
I’d recommend not sharing this theory with new hires, as it comes off as a bit offensive, at least to me. I’d also like to argue that interviewing 30 days prior to start date vs 120 days would forfeit very little, if any talent. Hypothetically speaking, let’s say Delta and FDX are competing for the same pilot for a May 1st class. Delta interviews said pilot on Jan 1st and makes a CJO. We interview April 1st and offer a CJO the next week. It’s now April 8th, candidate does not yet have a seniority number at Delta, and will likely pick whichever airline made the best impression. If that airline is FedEx, Delta loses a would-be new hire on short notice. Until a pilot is on property and accruing seniority, nothing is lost by picking the second or third to interview. The only way to ensure we staff our fleet with the best talent would be to hire far more pilots than we currently need.
Timberdux - As a former ECIC counselor, I have spoken directly to hundreds of FedEx candidates over the last 6 years. The ideal scenario you describe used to happen where all the interview invites were passed out and interviews complete before an availability date and the candidate gets to choose his future on equal footing prior to having to commit. That scenario is WAY, WAY old news now. Through 2016 and 2017, I have have directly spoken to some 50+ candidates. How many have you personally spoken to? Not one person in this sample, not one, experienced the ideal timeline you describe. The candidates all were invited to interview at AA, DAL, UA, SWA, UPS, or several of them, they completed and passed their interviews, they were offered CJOs, they were given training dates, and were on property in training, if not completely checked out, flying trips when FedEx finally entered the game. These people, nearly every single one, opened their FedEx e-mail offering an interview while wearing a Delta or American uniform. They are trying to deconflict the FedEx interview from Delta / AA training or actual trips. Sometimes they can deconflict, sometimes they cannot. The eventual reality of a bird-in-hand vs a possibility of a chance of a more desirable bird takes hold. FedEx begins to look at the candidates 30 days out. That in NO WAY means they are offered an interview the next day, 29 days prior. It takes time. FedEx is hiring an average of 36 / month. The interviews are offered often well after the availability date. Agree, I have a small sample size, but I would guess it's a larger sample than you have spoke to directly. I am not trying to be offensive, I am trying to do actual math and add actual numbers to the discussion to prove or disprove this issue. Still TBD. So far, I have flown with nothing but professionals with both mil and civilian backgrounds. It has worked so far, but my point: In a dwindling pool of candidates, this is not a sustainable course of action to getting access to the best candidates first...Allowing them get on property at DAL or AA before we e-mail them...Do you really support that method? Really? This situation is the new reality. Sorry if reality offends you. Don't know how to help you with that.