They could not attract anymore people other than CRJ drivers last time around and they honestly had, and still do, have issues with that group. If they are able to get some applicants, wait to you see what they unearth. The quality of a candidate will have dropped from the last DEFO recruitment drive.
I know that was a popular misconception during that hiring boom, but it was quite inaccurate. The fact is that all demographics of pilots during that time experienced difficulty adapting to the pedantic culture of Cathay. The real difference during the '05-'08 hiring versus other time periods of direct entry was that many of them were Americans. The CRJ training difficulty was anecdotal.
I know I experienced bias based on my nationality on several occassions. Ironically, I appreciated that people had the courage to say it to my face.