Avenues of entry into the company are S/O, 737 F/O NZ and ATR F/O.
External candidates are considered for the above positions after those that are eligible to do so under the GDOJ have indicated a preference.
There is clearly a breakdown in the how the applications are filtered because over the last six months it has been a struggle just to get a full quota of applicants to each assessment centre, so to hear that qualified people aren't even getting considered seems very strange. I suspect some of those that have been scheduled in for interviews have been given start dates elsewhere in the interim and have cancelled at the last minute, not surprising in the current environment.
The boys club comment is outdated, and the recruitment process itself has gone through quite a change over the last two years in terms of who is involved and who makes what decisions. Three out of four on the interview panel are always line pilots, as are of course the checkies that run the sim assessments.
No process is infallible and the occasional one might slip through to the keeper, but overall the pilot involvement is large with regards to who is and isn't successful, and the process compared to other airlines is not arduous.
There will be a steady requirement for crew this year, even more so if the predictions of a mass exodus to QF are realised.