Low & Slow

It sure seems that UAL is going to great lengths to do psych screening and profile alignment for potential candidates before the first face-to-face interview.

Maybe the UAL new hires will need to fit that very "special" psych profile and are just "happy to be here" despite having industry low wages, benefits, and work rules. More importantly, if you can screen out those who would fight for a better contract in favor of those who settle for scraps pilots, that one less sub-group to appease.

Applying at UAL to begin with casts questions on an applicants judgment (a company low in all areas relative to peers), or they haven't heard about the pilot labor/management war going on there. New hires WILL be asked to fight within the next year. Question is are you on labors side or are you a good company man. Unfortunately, if you make it through the screening, the answer is not hard to guess.

This was forwarded to me from another board regarding the UAL new hire process:

*********************************************
OK. So my buddy has made it to....another battery of Psych tests. Let's recap the process:

1. Submit app.
2. Get email saying you've moved on to the next step.
3. Get 250 Psych test from Hogan associates.
4. Get email saying call us so we can setup phone interview.
5. My friend calls, so he can find when they are going to call him back.
6. Does Phone interview.
7. Gets email stating he has to go to "Some learning/testing center" to take more tests (Buddy finds out it is more psych tests).

I am having trouble why, there has been no face to face yet. It would seem to me that we do not have room to be super picky since we need pilots so bad. Hopefully, after this next round of testing he'll get an actual interview.

EDC757

You are slow. United has not yet determined the final interview captains from those that applied much less have had any face to face interviews. The process for an interview cost United more than $2800 per interview and the most common reason to be downed is in the interview prep of the candidate.
Don't let guys like this scare you out of being yourself when they call. Saying what you think they want you to say will be the beginning of the end of your potential interview.
Our contract does not open for almost 2 years and any job action could not occure until after the mediation process is exhausted. So, having to choose sides within a year is abserd.

Low & Slow

Your logic is staggering. On one hand interview capt's have not been selected, thus no interviews conducted. On the other hand interviews have exceeded $2800 per candidate and there is already a leading cause for applicant failure. That is absurd.

Didn't UAL pilots just vote down a TA by 70% (which was negotiated outside of section 6)? What about the "Vocal Minority", Fix it Now, and information picketing conducted by ALPA? Admit it or not - fights on. New hire pilots will have to pick sides. They'll either fight for contractual advances in, or out, of section 6 or roll over and take whatever Skybus wage/work rules UAL is benevolent enough to offer.

I can't believe that anyone would apply at UAL after Tilton has gone on record as being singularly focused on a merger and has [reportedly] told ALPA he's not interested in a pre-nup to protect pilot labor. The ALPA contract has proven to be a failure (see USAir, et. al.) in terms of protecting merged pilot groups and junior pilots will more than likely be on the street in short order.

EDC757

All your rant says why you would not apply to United. But for those who would bet on United in the future and apply should not get tied up with your rant. These are the games each side play at the beginning of every contract. There will be NO major merger in the industry in the wanning years of the bush admin. And no likely merger in a democratic admin.
50% of interview failures IN THE PAST was due to problems in a candidates prep for the interview ( logbooks and paperwork items). United is trying to avoid these needless interviews in the future be doing a pre- interview on the phone.

Low & Slow

That is correct, I would not apply to UAL. I do have friends there and they paint a picture of a miserable work-life existence. I did want to point out that your company HAS negotiated outside of section 6 in the form of the failed TA (contrary to your earlier claim). Also, my understanding is that UAL's pilot new-hire process is completely new in terms of infrastructure, personal, and process. I might be slow, but what relevance is there between comparing the old process to the new?

For those looking to apply at UAL, don't rely on an anonymous Internet post like this one. Instead, find a UAL line pilot and talk to them at length. Go to the airport, call someone who know someone, do whatever it takes to talk to a pilot or three about what working at UAL is like.

REAL Pilot

To tag onto the continued UAL bashing- all the naysayers may or may not be right. THIS IS NOT A STATIC INDUSTRY. The UAL pilot's frustration/negativity stems from going from the top of the industry to middle of the pack. At least the UAL guys are willing to fight for their careers. Its not that the other pax carriers(CAL SWA) wages have gone up, its that the legacies have gone down.

UAL pilots despise Tilton and gang, much like Crandall was hated at American, but when the dominoes of consolidation start, it only seems logical that the initial players will get the preferred pairings and the rest can attempt to piecemeal some competitive compromise.

Sure, its smart to try to analyze the best career opportunites, but the test of time historically changes that picture.

With over 100 widebodies and the best pax network in the world, UAL has potential. Its only been around for about 80 years. Plus, in addition to last quarters numbers, UAL is hoarding cash (over $5 billion) and paying down debt.

One last point to a previous caller concerning customer satisfaction/complaints. UAL flys over 200,000 people a day. Even if you satisfy 98% of the crowd, that leaves thousands that are not. Big challenge.

Carpe Diem

Deez340

intriguing post. I also have wondered why everyone is so impressed with cargo and SWA pay rates. they pale in comparison to legacy rates of just 6 years ago. why should we as a profession celebrate the erosion of expectations? If DAL meets its profit figures for the next two years our widebody captains will be back on par with their UPS/FEX counterparts. and that is under a concessionary contract of historical proportions. let's all work together to raise the gig for everyone. If i was a junior Fex/UPS FO i would be largely content with compensation. If I was a captain i would feel significantly under compensated. just my thoughts.

Xray678

yeah, lets shoot down a 5000 hour pilot cause his PIC column was off by .1 and he forgot to dot the i in instrument. Thats how you select the best pilots.

EDC757

That's right, they assume you are at the most important interview of your career. If you can't carry the 1 then stay where you are.

EDC757

It's new and improved, but with many of the same people. The interview will not change much because of the legal work that went into the old one. Pre-selection is the biggest change.