You do like to flatter people.
However, apologies - I didn't realize that the hiring question was directed at me. I had no involvement in the hiring side on this one and was but one of the sim instructors for a fill in contract requirement.
As to my own views, I start with applicants
(a) sorted by qualifications/experience and then
(b) subsorted by personal qualities within the experience groups
This might then see some of the top/bottom folk in the quality sort being moved into adjacent experience groupings ie it is a two pronged effort to get a match of good people with the best experience on offer
(c) next output is a ranked list for assessment, followed by
(d) a ranked list for interview.
I must note that I have seen some fairly impressive and promising 200 hour folk. One such comes to mind - trained him up on the 737 a few years ago and he has recently got his command and will do very well, I'm certain.
However, overall I would go for the experienced pilot providing that the personal qualities are good. There is no point buying into troubles - and I have seen that happen on occasion in the past.
On the other hand, if the priority is to pay peanuts, then one might just as well start with the down and outs. Fortunately, I have never been forced into that sort of situation and, in any case, would walk before I accepted such executive pressure.
As an aside, my now-retired former business partner, as CP of a small airline operating jet equipment, did just that when the MD sought to direct that he do this and that, both of which went against the professional grain - we both were mates with the MD and continued to be so - but that didn't flavour the professional assessment and his decision to resign from the CP chair.
I'm never afraid to state my view regardless of the topic ...