dera

So, is the hiring process as awful for PICs as it is for SICs?

Any info about the DFW flying?

MostlyHarmless

What part is awful?

Boutique is a small company. The people who do interviewing are often squeezing it in on the side of other full time responsibilities. It may be inconvenient or annoying, especially if you want a job- but it is what it is. Most people who the company hires describe a pretty straightforward process- even if there are some delays. The company seems pretty good at identifying and hiring the people that it wants, and somehow they're good at finding good people. People who don't get hired may be understandably frustrated. Are other small companies all that different?

What are you looking to know about DFW? It is one of Boutique's larger bases, and it serves a number of towns. It is also (close to) a maintenance base. New pilots there may sit reserve for a while, or get sent to other bases to cover shifts until their seniority builds a bit. But DFW has a pretty good list of places to fly to.

dera

Awful = after completing HR interview, they tell you to expect a technical interview "in a few months". Then after "passing" your interviews you hear nothing for 6 months while you are in their "pool". That's just poor HR. I know Monique is not there anymore, but I've heard recent anecdotal stories that the system is still as bad.

How is the QOL as a PIC in DFW? What are the schedules/routes like, many overnights? Do PICs also sit reserve as new hires?

Sanguy

Bad mouth things you don't know all you want. But some quick searching will turn up an entire thread about how lousy your employer can be as well. Some good, some bad everywhere.

My interview/hiring experience with BTQ went smoothly. Even after I threw a wrench in the works, they were quite available, understanding and easy to work with.

If you've spent any time at all in the 135 world, you'll know there are good and not-so-good qualities everywhere. No company or management team is perfect. Your employer sounds like a decent place to work, but I'm not signing a $24k PIC contract.

I do hope you have a great time there.

MaxMar

I don't see how he doesn't know his own experience? I had the same one. Interviewed, was told to expect a technical interview, and it's been radio silence. That's nothing against the company as a whole, it's just poor HR skills and rather embarrassing on their part for misrepresenting the company as inept. There is absolutely no reason the hiring process should take months to complete interviews. My experience with every other 135 PC-12 operator (PS, TW, and SA) were all far and away superior to BTQ because inquiries were met with timely responses and interviews were scheduled and held to that schedule. In this class of operator BTQ has struggled with the hiring process, and the success of other 135s shows me that the size and scope of their operation is not the reason for this failure.

dera

I said nothing about BTQ as an employer. Just that everyone knows how ridiculously bad their HR can be. Glad yours went well. For many many others, it don't.

Just a heads up though about my employer since you brought it up - the only legit issues those two "famous" threads you refer to brought out have been fixed. Everything else was just nonsense. Even the person "everyone hated" but "who will never get fired", got fired. It's an awesome place to be. Right now, we have an awesome pilot group, schedule rocks, pay is good and for SICs there is no contract. If life didn't happen, I would never leave. Not many PC12 jobs where you can make 100k working 4 days a week.

My question was an honest question though, I might be moving to a city where BTQ has a base, and I'm exploring options around there. I was hoping since hiring PICs is harder than SICs that they would have their stuff together and not making people wait 6 months for a second interview, or 8 months for a class date after "being hired", only to be told "sorry, we are full".

Toddzilla

This is mostly true about Portland, but there was recently a pretty dramatic turnover as a few FOs were eligible for upgrade or upgraded, plus half of the captains left in January (basically after the year contract ended).

Toddzilla

I've heard a lot of these horror stories, and I believe them, but if you can get an internal reference from the company the process actually goes extremely quickly- especially for PICs.

dera

I've personally witnessed a few of these horror stories, that's why I was asking. Shame I don't know anyone currently working there to ask for a reference.

Javichu

You know I'd help you out if I had been hired but the second time, after passing HR and having received a "schedule your technical email" (thanks to an internal reference..), I never received a call nor an email scheduling the technical