HR doesn't have a surefire way of knowing the kind of flying or experience your may have gained from it, unless you have had a previious 121 or 135 job. So hours are the only way to judge experience and a 1000 hour pilot is more experienced than a 400 hour pilot. Flying skills are another thing that can't be judged from a resume. You might think with your 500 hours that your the mac daddy but with 3000 you will be better. BTW, I am the ace of the base! That being said we've all seen 10,000 hour guys that couldn't compete with students we've just soloed, and the same people freak with a master warning.