Holidaymakers have been left stranded for hours in airports across Europe, but why? Airline recruitment processes could hold the answer, Skillsarena suggest.
Travel Chaos: Analysing airline recruitment processes and their role in the 2022 flight bedlam
In the past few months, frustrated passengers have seen their flights being cancelled and delayed across Europe, resulting in them missing their holidays who want to enjoy their holidays on the sandy beach or being left stranded in foreign airport terminals. Widespread vaccination programmes and lifted travel restrictions have put air travel back on the radar for many people, but despite the growing demand for air travel, the aviation sector is poorly equipped to deal with the return to business-as-normal.
Moreover, even when flights are not being delayed or cancelled, long queues for check-in and baggage claim at Heathrow terminals and other UK airports are adding hours onto passengers’ journeys. The impact is widespread: according to the Office of National Statistics, one in three Brits have experienced disruption to their travel plans this summer.
So, what is causing the chaos at airports, and what can be done about it? Much of the issue comes down to staff shortages which are a combined result of mass lay-offs during the pandemic, inefficient recruitment practices, and high levels of staff sickness.
What’s behind airline staff shortages?
There are a few factors causing the staff shortages that are contributing to travel chaos this summer. The shortages are in part due to the mass layoffs carried out early in the pandemic. British Airways alone laid off over 10,000 employees, while TUI and EasyJet also cut thousands of jobs. Since those initial cuts in the spring and summer of 2020, many of the pilots, cabin crew, and other airline staff have retrained or taken other forms of employment in different industries, leaving a shortage of people with the necessary training or qualifications for airline careers.
These staff shortages are compounded by the interlinked issues of inefficient recruitment processes which cause hiring bottlenecks and an industry-wide employee retention problem. Here’s a closer look at the recruitment problems faced by three of the aviation giants that have seen high levels of cancellations, delays, and travel chaos this year: EasyJet, British Airways, and TUI.
EasyJet
EasyJet’s chief executive claims that the company’s current flight cancellations and delays are due to a rise in staff sickness, not recruitment and retention difficulties. However, the company has started offering £1,000 bonuses to new and existing employees who make it through the busy summer season, which indicates that hiring and retaining staff is a key priority for the aviation giant right now. It’s no surprise that EasyJet has cancelled many flights due to insufficient staffing — it cut around 30% of its staff due to the pandemic and staff strikes have also contributed to the disruption.
What’s slowing down EasyJet’s recruiting? EasyJet’s recruitment for cabin crew and cabin managers involves four steps: an online application by uploading a CV, an online ability test for verbal reasoning, situational judgement, and workplace behaviour, an application review, and then a virtual assessment day.
Successful candidates will then undergo background and security checks, which slows the process. EasyJet and other airline companies carry out extensive checks; candidates applying for sensitive roles are required to provide proof of employment history dating back five years.
However, this thorough recruitment process can be difficult for some candidates in the wake of the pandemic which led to companies shutting down, employees losing their jobs, and many people joining the gig economy which is hard to document. The pre-employment checks can take months, and while there is no shortage of applicants for cabin crew roles, the long wait for clearance is a problem for both the company which needs more staff now and for individuals who may need immediate work to cope with the cost of living crisis.
British Airways
British Airways is also experiencing recruitment woes. Already having cancelled 10,000 flights this coming winter, it’s important that they iron out the disruption in their recruitment process.
After an initial screening, British Airways applicants are asked to book a session for online assessments. Their assessments include situational judgement tests, ability tests, and personality assessments. Applicants offered the job will then undergo pre-employment and security checks before they can start their training. Like EasyJet and many of their competitors, British Airways are also struggling with a backlog of security vetting and pre-employment checks which can slow the hiring process.
British Airways was also the first UK airline to start offering a bonus of £1,000 for cabin crew and ground crew who joined the company. Specifically, this bonus was available to cabin crew who already had an airside ID for Heathrow or London Stansted Airports; clearly an attempt to lure back people who had already undergone the background checks and training in the past and could therefore start working sooner. Paid in two instalments after three months and six months on the job, it appears that British Airways is keen to boost retention as well as recruitment.
TUI Group
Using in-person and online interviews as well as online skills and personality assessments and assessment centres, TUI group’s recruitment process is similar to that of EasyJet and British Airways. Cabin crew applicants, for example, submit an online application, undergo online assessments such as a situational judgement test, are invited to an assessment centre, and then undergo a final interview.
TUI’s recruitment process is also lengthy, slowing the replenishment of staff numbers after the holiday company cut 8,000 jobs during the pandemic.
How can airlines improve recruitment and end the chaos?
The chaos of cancelled flights, queues reaching around airports terminals, and people left waiting hours to pick up baggage or to be let off flights doesn’t seem to be abating any time soon. How can airlines expedite the recruitment process to get the staff they need faster?
For security reasons, the lengthy pre-employment checks that are a requirement for airline staff are a necessity. However, airlines can improve their recruitment processes in other ways.
One way that airlines can recruit the right people and boost retention is through the use of realistic job previews. These are detailed illustrations of all aspects of what working in a job will be like, from the day-to-day duties to company culture. Providing a realistic job preview before potential candidates even click ‘apply’ is a great way to immediately filter applicants and ensure that those who continue the process are passionate about and committed to the job. A realistic job preview is a great deselection tool that boosts efficiency early in the recruitment process and allows in-house recruiters to hire people who are highly informed and enthusiastic about the role.
Another way that aviation companies can boost efficiency is by improving retention using personality profiling to inform onboarding. While some of the aforementioned airlines use personality tests in the recruitment process, this insight into candidates’ personalities, behaviours, and work and management styles can be used to adapt the onboarding process to them. Using personality test data allows managers to create stronger teams and more successful onboarding experiences, which are linked to retention, meaning reduced numbers of costly and lengthy re-hires.
Furthermore, while customer service skills have always been key for many of the roles in the aviation industry, impeccable customer service has never been more important than in the wake of this disastrous summer travel season. To win back the trust of disappointed passengers after the airline cancels or delays their flights or leaves them in queues for hours, staff with amazing customer service skills are essential. Situational judgement testing with a focus on customer service scenarios should be used in the recruitment process to assess applicants’ suitability for this difficult situation.
Conclusion
With an immediate need for staff, airlines may be tempted to cut corners on their recruitment strategies and processes, but this would be a huge mistake. Now, more than ever, airline recruitment needs to step up to focus on hiring the employees who will fit with the company culture and will remain in the organisation in the long-term.
As the aviation industry recovers from the chaos of the Covid-19 pandemic, the most successful brands will take this opportunity to refine their recruitment processes in line with retention strategy to build a stronger foundation for the future.
Want to learn more about enhancing recruitment through skills assessments, psychometric testing, and realistic job previews? Skillsarena offers an online skills assessment software with a range of pre-made and bespoke tests and recruitment resources.
