DA
To answer your question:
" one imagines that you mean the sort of highly experienced pilots with 2500 hours total time and / or 2.5 year's airline flying under their belt ?"
No. I do not mean the above. I am talking about (for e.g.) an ex-RBA captain currently in the RHS and others with at least double the sort of experience you are talking about.
I am also not competing personally with applicants from but rather addressing the enquiry as best I can, as a Captain with easy's recruitment team.
There are no 2500 hour captains with easyJet.
Thanks for your humble opinion.