VectorLine
Your opening paragraph makes good sense. It is unfortunate that such a lesson has taken so long to learn.
I appreciate that the old ways of filling supervisory positions by a time-in-job formula was probably out-dated, but it was replaced by a management selection process that was/is alien to the operational coalface worker; however it favoured the Graduate entrant who not only expected 40-year job security but also that he/she would only control traffic for 5 or 6 years [7 to 8 at the outside] before progressing on the career ladder.
What resulted is an organisation so top-heavy that the severe shortage of operational controllers is hampering the ability to cope with traffic growth.
This can to some extent be camouflaged by the 24/7 nature of the job, because the abnormally large operational workforce associated with it tends to smokesreen the manager/worker ratio.
Of course with several thousand applicants for each intake there is no need to offer more than £10k, the shrinkage in applications may streamline and expedite the selection/training process.