My pre and post contract assessment is that they hire from a wide range of backgrounds and experience. Quality is up a bit and probably total a time a little, and this is my unscientific personal sample size. Seems like I find a common theme from the past year or two with some exceptions. That theme is low flight risk, and willingness to be content with less. I see tons of new hires with no bachelors degree. That right there brings them to spirit and not legacies. Then it’s a mix or low time, corporate only background, or skeletons.

All of these are different but the result is an applicant that cant easily leave and sees a good deal when it comes their way. And being 15% + or - undercompensated is a good deal for most unfortunately and it takes years to break that attitude if it’s possible. The low time guy is the only of the above that one day will be competitive to leave but by that point they will be too comfortable to try usually.

We all know this is a much better job than our last otherwise we wouldn’t be here. The key is getting people to understand that no matter what their background, once you’re a spirit pilot you don’t have to settle for less because of that background. You are just as valuable to this company as a legacy pilot is to theirs. And I’m not talking about some self esteem lift your moral BS. I’m talking about value in the form of what we do and how it’s compensated