It can be asked to a person of any race/creed/colour/gender/sexual orientation by a person of any race/creed/colour/gender/sexual orientation. BA is about as diverse as you get.

That is hysterical. Pilot recruiting gone mad.

There are plenty of ways to assess the non-technical persona of the candidate with "tell me about a time when" questions, if they still flatly refuse to have a technical interview.

This is just proof that the lunatics are running the asylum.

BA would prefer culturally aware pilots. That question probably exists to check you're not some UKIP voting, Daily Mail letter writer. But it seems some of you are ;-)

Think about it. You're getting upset about a politically correct question? Don't you get it? You'll be sharing a cockpit with a diverse ethnic/sexuality/gender spread in BA. If you get all het up at the ambiguity it'll just prove you're another one of those veiled intolerant-types that quite frankly, we have enough of in BA already.

I work in an outfit every bit as diverse as BA, thank you. Per capita, I'd say far moreso.

My cultural awareness is fine. The question doesn't bother me personally - I just fail to see how this isn't a case of HR being given too long a leash. It would seem plenty agree.

But, thanks for joining in. Without people like you, we'd be stuck with technical questions and personality-gauging questions based on relevant experience. How would we cope?

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.

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!

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.

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Anson is on the money here.


John smith you must be joking with this statement.

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.

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?:rolleyes:

regards

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

Ah, now it makes sense.

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.

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

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

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:

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

I'd love to know what that is.

Two pages of some very strident views? Perhaps you all need to chill and be accepting of other peoples' opinions.

Well, how about this?

I personally have strong beliefs regarding animal welfare. Many others do too, and strongly disagree with halal slaughter. We neither need, nor want it. However, since halal is EVERYWHERE, in order to paint ourselves as 'diverse' in this PC world, we either become vegetarian, or sacrifice our beliefs, as we are forced to accept, 'our' beliefs are seen as less important?

Am I letting myself down?

4468,
Quite possibly a perfect answer that many of us could use but I doubt I'd have thought of that on the spot.
Without wishing to detract from your thought provoking post how about a flippant example.
It's the belief ( now rescinded)of the airport authority at a certain UK airport is / was that Tabards should be worn to collect your case. The collection point is in the open air. However reading the user instructions of said tabard it states not to expose to UV light. So to adhere to the beliefs of the airport owners I'm damaging my employers property. I could of course wait for nightfall, a cloudy day or indeed wear the tabard under my uniform jacket as the requirements state a tabard must be worn but doesn't demand that it is used as an outer layer.
The requirement for female crew to wear a winter coat into a ME destination in 40 degree heat and your duty of care as a commander is another potential example.
I'm pleased it's not a real question though and agree it's an amalgamation of 2 questions.

Please s t , that's such an incredible/daft scenario nobody here will believe it's worthy of an answer...:ok: :ok:

Oh yeah you'd only have that as an example AFTER you'd got the job,my bad.

..yep, and you'll only realise after you've got the job just how much time and effort is spent by some in trying to avoid spending a penny more of the flight ops budget......but I digress....

BTW what's the answer to the question ? :hmm:

Joined around 6 months ago, last few months of submitting preferences have resulted in a total of zero of those preferences becoming reality (and they weren't particularly unrealistic!)

The swapping system however works well and gives junior guys like myself a chance to control things to an extent.

Expect to work 3 out of 4 weekends per month roughly. If you are a sharp swapper and user of open time that can be reduced if you can hack the minimum 2 local nights rest at base or are willing to back to back the 3 day African trips.

Blind lines thus far as someone 80-90% down the fleet list are pretty good. Preferences depend on how you use them - if you ask for lots of things you are unlikely to get much. If you make one or two, you are more likely to be in luck. Whenever I have needed a specific day or weekend off, solely putting that as your preferences or a call to preops have solved the problem.

Trip swapping with other guys on the fleet is what really allows you control of your life. In the months I've been on line, I've never flown more than one or two of the trips on my original line, and never once flown the roster I was originally given.

It's a great fleet, you'll love it.

Edit to say strange that my experience with preferences is so different, maybe Ive just been lucky thus far.

Has anybody heard any rustlings regarding any more long haul positions becoming available or is it still only short haul?

Hearing that the bid results have been delayed?

High of 21 Low of 6 tomorrow

Swapping and sector swapping is the way ahead. Can completely re-write the roster and extend or reduce trip length. All subject to FTLs. The beauty is that if its legal then it can be done, via computer and not at the whim of a person.