You need to understand that easyJet receives literally hundreds of applications and, being 'low cost', has a small team of only about 4 people who receive, review and collate all applications. On top of that job, which is frankly a vast task in itself, these 4 people liaise with every single pilot who is to be interviewed, run recruitment days each week and then sort out contracts for all successful applicants. They are a tiny team with a massive job. They simply do not have time to talk out the merits of every single application and inevitably there is a slight element of luck as to who gets interviewed and who does not. Clearly they will jump at type-rated applicants first when it comes to offering interviews. Interestingly enough, despite the widely-publicised shortage of pilots at easyJet, they know no embarrassment at turning down type-rated applicants who do not impress them at the assessment day.
It is not strictly true to say that a 'mate' cannot get you in. There is a formalised procedure at easyJet known as the 'Recommend a Friend Scheme' whereby you can put forward a 'suitable' colleague or friend from outside the company and they are guaranteed an early review of their application. There are, however, limitations to the scheme in that the absolute minimum experience easyJet will look at you with is 500 hours multi-crew pilot time. The only exception to that is the Cadet scheme whereby CTC fleece both cadet and easyJet by providing sharp young people, who take on a huge loan to be trained in New Zealand, and then leave easyJet after a year or 18 months to join BA! If you are not a CTC cadet and you do not have those 500 hours multi-crew pilot hours you will not get an interview. As was stated previously, there is no method available to apply other than online - if you send a paper CV it will go straight in the bin. Hard rules - but that is the way it is.