Recruitment and selection in the aviation industry

The significance of using the best practices for recruitment and selection of future employees for a company in recent times cannot be stressed enough. People are vital as they offer their attributes, values and perspectives to the organisation (Kapur, 2018). The company must ensure that the recruitment and selection processes adopted are coherent and consistent with the organisational strategies as well as other human resource management functions such as development, performance, pay and benefits (Wickramasinghe, 2007). By ensuring that the most suitable practices are implemented, the company can confidently hire the right person with the right skills, knowledge and attributes at the right time for the right job (Kapur, 2018)

Since there are many types of companies doing business in different aspects of the business spectrum, naturally the recruitment and selection process tends to be different for each type of company (Wickramasinghe, 2007). Furthermore, each company itself has different departments under it that perform completely different tasks. The airline I work for, for example, has over 13 major departments, ranging from finance to engineering. Naturally, the recruitment process differs for each department as well. People seeking jobs are attracted to airlines because of the many additional privileges offered, for example, free tickets and extra baggage allowances when travelling. Also, training is provided for skilled jobs such as aircraft maintenance with no extra cost. Besides, job seekers are also attracted to the recognition and brand image of working for recognised airlines (Barrett, 2017). Airlines are therefore usually never short of potential candidates applying for job vacancies, be it piloting or cabin crew.

However, airlines also face several challenges during recruitment and selection (Barrett, 2017). Aviation is a highly competitive field and quick and well-informed decisions need to be made during the recruitment process to attract the right candidates, since many often apply to several airlines at a given time and take the first position that is offered (Barrett, 2017). Besides, smaller, faster-growing airlines usually hire experienced pilots and offer them quick progression in their career paths, whereas larger airlines tend to hire and nurture cadets using their in-house programmes and simulators. Most modern aircrafts are being bought by the Middle Eastern airlines such as Qatar Airways and Emirates resulting in most pilots and cabin crew job vacancies being readily available in the Middle East. Therefore, Asian airlines are finding it increasingly difficult to not only recruit skilled pilots and cabin crew, but to retain them as well. Besides, the high attrition rate of cabin crew positions also adds to the already challenging issue (Barrett, 2017).

Universities and colleges that offer aviation-related programmes are also finding it difficult to recruit qualified lecturers that have the right combination of advanced theoretical skills as well as practical experience on piloting or engineering (Harl and Johnson, 2006). One of the reasons to this is that university aviation faculty positions typically do not have the attractive salary figures to match with what those professionals are currently earning in their respective fields, be it piloting or engineering, who are typically accustomed to making in excess of $100,000 (Harl and Johnson, 2006).  Furthermore, many of the currently employed aircraft maintenance engineers and pilots in airlines do not possess higher academic credentials, for example, a doctorate or even a degree for that matter. This is because an aircraft maintenance engineer has a unique career path that is determined by the demand of the airline the engineer is working in. Engineers are offered type rated courses depending on the types of aircrafts maintained by the airline. These type-rated courses specialise each individual on the particular type of aircraft. Therefore, the engineer is not required to maintain a degree on his respective carrier field. This raises issues for colleges looking for professionals to hire with the advanced academic credentials needed for doctorate roles.

As per unpublished HR report findings, the airline I work for is finding it challenging to recruit the most suitable staff for a job vacancy. This is mainly due to the several discrepancies with the qualification matrix currently practiced by Sri Lankan Airlines when recruiting staff. As per the current practice, for example, when applying for an executive position, one of the requirements for a candidate to possess is a degree from a UGCA approved university. The job specification fails to mention the type of degree required for that position. Hence, a candidate possessing a degree in agriculture is fit to apply for a job in the admin section, provided that the other qualifications are met. In other words, even though the candidate is qualified for the job, the candidate is not necessarily the most suited for the job. Due to this reason, many of the newly recruited staff find it challenging in their new job roles even though they possess the required qualifications as per the job specification.

Therefore, companies such as the one I am employed at must modify the qualification matrix to better suit the job role, so that the most suitable candidate is hired for the job. The company can benefit in the long run as well, with visible improvements in productivity and a decrease in employee turnover. The use of technology has played a major role in the past couple of years and has benefited both employers as well as potential candidates (Aon, 2017). Realistic job previews, for example, can be used by applicants to assess the realities of any role and help them decide if the culture and the job is the right match for them (Aon, 2017). Take a look at the video below to see how technology has helped airlines such as Emirates to recruit the most suitable and qualified cabin crew, engineers and pilots.

Video 01 Emirates Airline and Group Finds Quality Talent Worldwide | LinkedIn Customer Story

 

source: (LinkedIn Talent Solutions, 2014)

Moreover, to combat the high churn rate of cabin crew, some airlines are focusing on providing career advice or assessment system to help cabin crew personnel choose a new career in the airline (Aon, 2017). For example, Sri Lankan Airlines recognise the value of cabin crew and the skills they possess, and often job rotate them as linguistic instructors, since most of the cabin crew members are multilingual. This not on only saves the cost of hiring new instructors, but also gives the cabin crew members job flexibility and assurance that they would be able to continue working even if they are unable to fly when, for instance, during pregnancy.

List of references

• Aon (2017). Airline recruitment trends and challenges and how recruiters are responding. [online] Talent Assessment Media Articles. Available at: https://insights.humancapital.aon.com/talent-assessment-media-articles/airline-recruitment-trends-and-challenges-and-how-recruiters-are-responding 

• Barrett, D. (2017). Airline recruitment trends and challenges and how recruiters are responding. [online] Available at: http://gatmarkting.oss-cn-hangzhou.aliyuncs.com/1528774967383.pdf 

• Harl, T. and Johnson, J. (2006). Recruitment and Promotion Challenges for Aviation Faculty in U.S. Universities. Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research, [online] 15(3). Available at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3a27/1f20bd4a0b58660969aa56211148bf95209f.pdf 

• Kapur, R. (2018). Recruitment and Selection. [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323829919_Recruitment_and_Selection LinkedIn Talent Solutions (2014). Emirates Airline and Group Finds Quality Talent Worldwide | LinkedIn Customer Story. [video] Available at: http://Emirates Airline and Group Finds Quality Talent Worldwide | LinkedIn Customer Story 

• Wickramasinghe, V. (2007). Staffing practices in the private sector in Sri Lanka. Career Development International. [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235265292_Staffing_practices_in_the_private_sector_in_Sri_Lanka