Deep and Fast
Pilots who are part of the recruitment team do not determine the policy. That's done by HR. What they do determine, however, is the quality and standard of the candidate who makes it through to interview. It's a combined effort from actual line guys, long term sick pilots who've been assessed for their suitability for recruitment and TRE's who play an integral part in the simulator assessment. Experience levels for applicants has indeed been reduced but the standards, we are led to believe, will remain the same.
From my own involvement with the recruitment team, I have no reason to believe that goal is not being achieved, despite the increasing pressure from above. The pilots and examiners know only too well that the consequences of not retaining those minimum standards would impact on all throughout the training process and also on the line. It would be a false economy if an increasing number of people were failing after joining.
Personally, I'm not disagreeing with a lot of the points you make, just the way you make them.
Harry