Speaking of Endeavor, Delta and their hiring practices. This:
Found the post below on another forum where DL’s “rigorous hiring standards” were being debated/discussed. Although not sure about 100% of what the guy said, I thought the reply quoted below, in response to why DL is like that, was particularly well reasoned. Although it’s a bit anecdotal as much internet stuff is, some of it jives with what was then the word on the street after the success rate of Endeavor pilots at DL interviews became news. [maybe an object lesson in there ?]
First, I’ve always objected to fuzzy, undefined terms, like “… the best pilots available…”. It’s meaningless and only know it’s their game, ergo, they make the rules…whatever THEY are. We can only infer its meaning by looking at results produced under the HR system in place. Results mixed enough in some cases to make one wonder.
Second, in paragraph #2, I don’t know that DL has no input into what the HR squad at their wholly-owned regional does related to hiring pilots. I’d like to know.
Third, in paragraph #3, the bolded part does match the word on the street. If…if…IF it’s true, whoever told them that needs to be publicly horse whipped along with anyone who’d actually have believed it. While I’d surmise it might be true for the initial wave of interviewees, the results would’ve spread like wild fire and likely altered the pre-interview behavior of those following. Would it not ?
At any rate, I’m just one of the Blind Men and the Elephant. Here’s what the guy said:
Why would Delta do this? Really?!?
1) Call it vanity, but they get to continue to tell themselves that they get to hire the best pilots available, choosing and poaching from ALL of the available candidates. Look at DL’s hiring stats. They have plenty of qualified pilots applying. Why would they lock themselves into anything but the most token of guarantees to bring in EDV pilots while military pilots are plentiful and cheap and the vast majority of regional 121 and all of the 135 world aren’t covered by a flow to another major?
2) Related to 1, Delta HR doesn’t have to stoop to accepting pilots from a “regional” (say that in a condescending tone) that were hired by said “regional HR.”
3) Related to 1, EDV pilot’s that interviewed early on with company sponsored interviews, their HR liaisons that coached them, accounted for themselves rather poorly with all the talk of “it’s a formality really, just a handshake and a chat. No problem.” Pilots that mailed in their effort, didn’t show for interviews, or acted entitled (or insufficiently humble when bowing to kiss Delta HR’s ring) hurt themselves and all other EDV pilots by giving Delta HR any evidence to say that they need to continue to stand as guardians against the unbathed masses of “regional” pilots.
Lastly, and this is purely personal anecdote. I did a short touch and go at EDV after retiring from the military and before moving on to mainline. I can tell you my experience of talking to pretty good EDV pilots that were passed over by Delta was that none of the passed over pilots seemed to grasp how important prepping for the interview really was, even after getting turned down with a 6 month re-interview invitation. By contrast, my military bubbas encouraging me to come to mainline were adamant about test and interview prep as a friendly prerequisite to the internal recommendation so that I’d be successful. That approach is as much a cultural heritage from a military career (never start a fight or engagement that you don’t already know the outcome, either because you know you’re going to win or your sacrifice is necessary), but I prepped and studied my butt off. The result was that after the adrenaline of the two day process was over, it was easy to say that it was actually pretty low threat. I saw mil friends one day ahead of me to interview and one day behind me, and our interview groups were >75% military, all whom were hired, and all felt like they were over-prepared. The others, as a general rule, had not spent as much time, money, or effort on prep, felt like the testing was harder than they expected, that the got beat up more in the HR portion, and were overall about 50/50 on CJO vice invitation for 6 month return or a total “thank you for your time.” Let me be clear that in my short interaction with these others, or what was related by friends, the only difference I could see was how much effort had gone into prep versus mil guys.
My opinion, imperfect and ignorant as it is, is that until every SSP or DGI participant shows up to interview 100% prepared (test prep, HR prep, and with a convincing balance of humble and confidence), Delta HR will always want to protect their turf by holding up the example of a few clowns that accounted poorly for themselves and hurt the EDV name in the process.