This is the first time that Encore has lowered its hiring requirements to 250 hours. Previously it was 1,500 and then 1,000. In each case, pilots with 1,500 hours and 1,000 hours were hired. There is no reason to think that 250-hour pilots will not be hired if that is where the competitive level drops. Naturally, if they have applications from a 250-hour pilot and a 3,000-hour pilot, the 250-hour pilot likely loses out every time - that's why a company shows "desirable qualities or attributes" in their postings. I have it on good authority that the company is in the process of re-designing their initial training program to cater for the lower level of experience (as they did for 1,000-hour pilots). But, because they're only doing that now, it means while they are planning to hire 250 hour pilots, they probably don't expect to hire that level of experience for at least 6 months to a year given that's how long it takes to re-design an initial.