BA Direct Entry Pilot.

[sudden twang]

Right Engine,
I'm having trouble believing that this is an actual question.
It's right/ necessary to investigate cultural diversity but this question delves deeper requiring the answer to include a time when you've been too accommodating. To expand that to it having affected a third party makes it very difficult.
The acid test as to whether this question is reasonable or not would be to present it to a random selection of current BA pilots and see if they can answer it.
Personally I have an okish response to it but it took me 10 minutes to think of a specific example and I've been flying a long time so should have far more examples than most applicants.
Logically any pilot selector is going to think the same and treat answers pragmatically.
Personally at 5nm into BOM with +TSRA it would help me if pilot recruitment concentrated less on those who had overdone cultural diversity but focussed more on those who can fly a jet.
This question, if it is a question, gives BA a bad name as evidenced by the posts above.
Right Engine, your final sentence is ironic in the extreme.

[Right Engine]

McNugget,

I appreciate your point. But BA HR's opinion of a good BA employee is not mutually exclusive to PPrune's collective opinion of what makes a good pilot.
In order to join BA, it's only fair that the odd question about diversity awareness is thrown at you. Despite it's clichéd PC origins, a tell-tale frown from an interviewee will hint at someone who hasn't given diversity much thought. And for those whose frowns are most pronounced, that maybe are from a more bigoted origin.... I hope you'd appreciate why BA might prefer not to employ them.

Having flown with the odd bigot over the years (not many : but we've got 'em!) I'd prefer if our future recruits were easier for everyone to get on with.

I do agree that a question worded "have you ever been too accommodating in a situation regarding cultural diversity/sexuality" is a bit over complicated. But surely that would be a great opportunity to exhibit / show off your excellent communication skills in pointing out the complexities of the question, the sensitive nature of the topic and (hopefully) the lack of anecdotes to answer with!

FWIW, I've got nothing to do with recruitment!

[no sponsor]

I did have a similar question several years ago, so it's not a recent addition.

At the end of the day, it's their train set, so you just need to jump through the hoops.

[sudden twang]

Right Engine,
Our posts crossed, I'm glad we are in agreement that the question is too complex.

Did you use the words " veiled intolerant types" and "bigot" during your interview for BA?

[anson harris]

Diversity awareness or lack of it has precisely zero bearing on one's ability to be an effective pilot.

I completely disagree and so do BA. Has it occurred to you that people who don't stop to consider the differences among others generally make poor team players and even worse leaders? Imagine the scenario where a Captain says something upsetting about a subset of society that he feels are beneath him or her - yet the co-pilot is either part of that group or maybe married to somebody in it. Is that co-pilot going now going to go the extra mile to support that Captain (consciously or otherwise)? I doubt it.
Further to that - you obviously misunderstand the point of such questions. Yes, demonstrating that you are aware of cultural issues is a bonus, but they are also looking to see that you are flexible in your approach and open minded.
They're basically looking for people that aren't arseholes. Sometimes I wonder if that's a rare quality.

[average-punter]

I agree you need to be aware of other cultures, to a point. It's certainly very low on my list of priorities though. As John Smith says acting in a professional manner will cover you for all bases.

This question is ridiculous and as with any question like this let's face it the person who is the best at lying will have the best answer in the eyes of HR!!!

It's one big joke

[Bloodhound Loose]

Give us an example in your life when you have been too accommodating for reasons of cultural diversity and thereby have let someone else down

I think that there are 2 actual interview questions that have been merged into one as the story has been retold. "Send two and fourpence" springs to mind. I suspect the two questions looked something like this:

- Give an example of a time when you have been too accommodating and thereby have let someone else down.

- Give an example of a time when you have had to be accommodating due to reasons of cultural diversity.


Diversity awareness at BA is not just important for working alongside multi-cultural colleagues; 50% of BA passengers are NOT British (store that stat for your interview!) Think about serving alcohol, or a bacon butty, inbound to Riyhad. Imagine an aircraft outbound from Mumbai with 70% local passengers and none of your cabin crew can speak Indian. A couple of small examples of how cultural awareness must pervade throughout the business. It's taken very seriously and I don't think it unreasonable to expect a couple of minutes of probing over the course of a 3-day selection procedure.

[anson harris]

The key is to act in a professional manner whatever your views of a person or group are.

Of course you're entitled to your own views, regardless of how ignorant they are. And yes, professionalism involves occasionally putting your beliefs to one side - we all have prejudices whether we like it or not.

...does not mean snivelling and scraping to avoid offending someone's cultural sensibilities.

Nobody, least not BA, would expect you to do that. What you are expected to be able to do is demonstrate some key qualities like empathy, social awareness and, for want of a better word, manners.

It's for those in a minority to fit in with the majority

Well luckily for BA, the majority of people there are aware of differences among us and recognise that it is a strength. The best workplaces are the ones where everyone comes to work not being embarrassed of who they are or where they come from.

[JulietSierra6]

Anson is on the money here.


John smith you must be joking with this statement.

Why? Diversity awareness or lack of it has precisely zero bearing on one's ability to be an effective pilot.

[nrn]

Give me an example of when you were flying the Space Shuttle in an inverted negative g dive whilst flipping off the martians on the moon yesterday in 2034...

Some questions might be a bit weird but it's BA's trainset so if you want the job you better come up with an answer.

[binsleepen]

Surely if the airline is to be representative of society it needs both bigotts and pc luvvies working for it! If you weed out the biggotts could the arline not be accused of institionalised biggottism?

regards

[anson harris]

once great British institution

I think they want to be a great British business, not an institution. If you want institutions, I can recommend the WI.

[BitMoreRightRudder]

When I was still flying

Ah, now it makes sense.

[Max Angle]

I can assure you that the booze flows freely on BA flights to and from Saudi but not (I think) in their airspace. However its not a good idea to arrive there visibly intoxicated.

[JaxofMarlow]

I also do not believe this is a question, but two amalgamated to make it seem ridiculous.

[wiggy]

I'll admit it's a very odd question but:

it's BA's trainset so if you want the job you better come up with an answer.

Just about sums it up.

Unfortunately BA are not going to pay to put every applicant through a sim on day one so that those that can fly an outside loop, engine out can display their wares. Given numbers "HR" (or their outsourced recruiters if applicable) are going to put a pretty fine net on the pre sim no-tech filters.

For the unaware BA do make a very big deal out of their Diversity and Inclusion policy (going as far as having on some suitably selected line pilots pretty much on call to offer advice on the subject) so I'd suggest whether you think the question stinks or not if you're appying it's a case of "forewarned is forearmed....."

john smith:

BA is a British Airline. I can't think of many places worse to visit that Saudi, but in the event I ever had to go there, I'd be pretty irritated if the airline refused to serve alcohol or pork products to avoid offending cultural sensibilities.

You may well be irritated, I would as well, but as Max rightly says says booze is served on Saudi flights...

What a sad state of affairs that a once great British institution has allowed itself to descend to this.

Descend to what? I'd have thought having an policy which fundamentally boils down to: talk to people and treat people as you would wish to be talked to/treated yourself is a good thing.

In many ways it's like other formerly state run organisations (see the BBC, inter alia).

Oh no it's not...I can promise you any idea of BA being run like the BBC went out of the window the day Bob Ayling left.

[bradandwhitney]

Thanks to all for the discussion following my post.

Would someone kindly point out an actual example/a situation that relates to this interview question.

Thanks!

PS: My personal opinion is (again this is just personal!) that a "good pilot" in addition to outstanding flying skills features a fair share of non-technical talents as well.
I think it is a good thing that BA are taking that into consideration.

[HadEnough]

Just to confirm, I can categorically state that the question posed has never been asked and is certainly not in the current bank of questions!

[Capt Ecureuil]

John Smith,

I don't normally post on this forum but feel compelled to say that I'm glad to hear that you're not to be found on any flighdeck let alone a BA one.

[anson harris]

I'm just thankful that I don't have to put up with such tosh in my new career.

I'd love to know what that is.