A lot of it seems to stem from a proprietary thought process. It's my company I'll hire whom ever I want as long as they are qualified.

Also, there is quite a bit to be said for being the first major carrier that someone flies for. Being the first will aid in indoctrinating that individual into the way "we" fly. Right or wrong, the things you learn your first time through get carried over throughout your career. For some reason, the first training you receive on your primary airplane is the one that will stick with you the longest. Lots and lots of guys in the military have wasted valuable seconds trying to grab ejection handles from the first front line fighter they were checked out on, not the one they are currently flying. It usually seems unrelated to the length of time they flew one or the other, unless transition is very recent. But in the AF no one ever has tried to grab handles and squeeze (T-37) if they have been checked out on a follow on Fighter. But F-4 guys now in front line fighters grab for the F-4 handles first. Some how the mind equates primary imprinting with the first training. Ask your self how much of the 727 you still remember vs the second aircraft you flew here if you are now on your third or more aircraft.

Bringing other airlines imprinted training into the FDX program could be viewed as less than optimum. Strictly from a human factors point of view. Now experience can overwrite most imprinting the more experience the better. But perhaps if the HR community here has input into the hiring, they might be using logic similar. Bringing a 10000 hr captain into the CRM mix CAN make the crew dynamic unstable unless the high-time low seniority individual has just the right personality. Similar problems can be seen trying to integrate high ranking retired military personnel. Guys O-6 and above lots of times don't play well with others when forced into an "Indian" role vs the "chief" role.

It can't all be about the best qualified. How do you determine the best qualified?? The most hours? The greatest number of aircraft tickets? The most combat? The most kills? The greatest number of landings? The most number of countries flown into? The most instrument hours? Night hours? If anyone knows what would determine the best qualified, I'm sure the CP office would love to know. At best you can determine if someone "should" be qualified based upon their previous experience. Then "meet and greet" with them along with someone who states that they know and vouch for them. Then see if they can jump through a series of hoops. If all that passes then welcome. Not perfect but understandable.