I don't mind the HR component in pilot selections, although I still fail to see what's the utility of psychometric tests. The worst is the DLR. A friend of mine passed it but the next phase of the selection process was even crazier. It was handled by an external HR company. He had to answer stupid questions like what he would do with a brick and a towel together and other weird questions. And the airline that uses this selection process is constantly recruiting because they can't get enough pilots.
The beer test is usually done by the pilot doing the interviews. If you give a good impression, then they will terminate the interview quickly. Had one a few days ago, lasted less than 10 minutes, and I progressed on to the final phase.