'Regional' Flight Crew Selection - What are you looking for?

[the goal is soul]

This is directed at the current WJ crews, and if he has the time, DaveP himself.

There’s a lot of discussion about potential regional pay structures and agreements. Some discussion about how you want to keep morale high and maintain esprit de corps between two flight crew groups to avoid historical grudges and animosity that existed at in other organizations. There isn’t a lot of discussion yet about what YOU want.

What are the qualities and attributes of the crews that you will need to hire in order to see this succeed?

What are your expectations as to how they will contribute to the success of the regional side, the common morale, and to what you already have at Westjet?

What will your contributions be to help them succeed at your airline?


Thanks!

[CAL]

space in your parents basement......no but seriously these are good questions.....

[Bede]

I'm a WJA pilot, but not on the hiring team.

I would think it would be the same as what WJA looks for.

I was in ground school last week and our Director of Standards did his usual talk. He said something which really stood out and I think would be wise for people to consider if they want to work here. He said, "I used to ask potential hires why they wanted to work here when I met them when they were being given a tour by their sponsor. I stopped asking. Applicant's often responded, 'the pay is good, I can live where I want and get the schedule I want'".

These things are all true, but WJA wants you to be part of something bigger than yourself. I would guess if you can get that attitude across to the hiring board, you will have a much better shot of getting hired.

Best of luck getting hired!!

[the goal is soul]

Thanks Bede, I appreciate that.

[cj555]

I'm a WJA pilot, but not on the hiring team.

I would think it would be the same as what WJA looks for.

I was in ground school last week and our Director of Standards did his usual talk. He said something which really stood out and I think would be wise for people to consider if they want to work here. He said, "I used to ask potential hires why they wanted to work here when I met them when they were being given a tour by their sponsor. I stopped asking. Applicant's often responded, 'the pay is good, I can live where I want and get the schedule I want'".

These things are all true, but WJA wants you to be part of something bigger than yourself. I would guess if you can get that attitude across to the hiring board, you will have a much better shot of getting hired.

Best of luck getting hired!!

Very good point! I really admire the corporate culture that WJA has cultivated with its employees. It looks like a great place to work. Happy motivated employees = higher job satisfaction = happier customers!

[wjawannabe]

I'm curious to know, how will initial crewing be handled with regards to captains? Obviously on Day 1, you need to have both seats filled, does this mean the initial hiring will be for captains as well as first officers? And if so, what type of qualifications might they be looking for, and where would they come from?

It's always interesting, starting an airline from scratch!

[mbav8r]

Hi Guys,
It's too early for the salary... It hasn't been set yet but it is being worked on as we read!
I have seen proposals and it's not bad.

As for the hiring pool, we will have 2 sets of hiring lines running. All people currently in the WJ pool stay there. Interviewing for the Dash wont start until the late fall. All this hiring will be done by our current WJ hiring team.

Loopa, yes after roughly 2 - 21/2 years we will start to look at lower time guys for fo positions.
I believe the current plan is to hire and train you as a captain due to the aggressive delivery schedule.

Pretty exciting and its going to be a well funded, fun place to work for sure.

Dave.

P.S. this is from another thread about the same topic

[sanjet]

Anyone know when they will start accepting applications for the Q400 positions?

[DaveP]

I’m guessing we will have the website/application process set up by mid to late summer.

I’ll post when it’s going live.

Cheers!

[sanjet]

Thank you

[wjawannabe]

Another question relating to the upcoming "Regional" operation:

Acknowledging that the terms of employment are probably only now being hammered out, I'm very interested to know if the new airline will give employees the same (or similar) travel benefits as given to Westjet "mainline" employees on the mainline operation?

I hope my question won't be seen as presumptuous given that hiring hasn't even opened! But given that the stated bases would be restricted to YYC and YYZ, with no port system, and these cities (while perfectly fine! are not where my extended family live, this issue is quite important to me.

I am only asking in very general terms if anyone knows if some sort of interline staff travel system is even being considered, not trying to open a debate on the details of any such scheme!

Speculation and WAG* are welcome!

* Wild Ass Guesses

[Go Guns]

We've been told same travel benefits, same priority.

[dream_big]

Say whattttt?? No no no. All wrong. You must make the regional lower priority. That way they will always remember who the superior one is. ACPA got it right. Insert sarcasm. Just messing around, that sounds great

[av8ts]

.

[Kosiw]

I’m guessing we will have the website/application process set up by mid to late summer.

I’ll post when it’s going live.

Cheers!

Hi

Any "new" updates regarding regional pilot job postings and salary/benefit structure ?

The anticipation is exciting

[DaveP]

The latest and greatest is:

- We are finalizing comp and ben next week
- Chief pilot and VP postings are up (extended for another 2 weeks)
- General pilot posting will be up likely October 1st - Interviewing will commence in November
- We hope to hire and have first ground school going by late March/1st of April
- Bases are still undecided - marketing will choose where the first 2 aircraft start later in the year - likely Q1.

Cheers,
Dave.

[M. Essaie]

If one wishes to apply for this new regional airline (and a presumptuous shot at being hired directly into the left seat) but is uninterested in right seat on the 737 can such preference be indicated in the existing online application? Just don't want to waste anyone's time.

[rudder]

I hope that you guys sort out this whole WJ/WJR hiring mess without repeating the numerous errors committed by the red (now light blue) team. Let me give you a non-pilot analogy (hypothetical of course):


FA - Hi. I am applying as a WJR flight attendant. I have also applied as a WJ flight attendant but have not gotten a call for an interview yet so I thought this would be a good alternative.

WJ - Yes. Thank you for your application. You look like a good WJR candidate on paper so we want to interview you. Do you have any questions?

FA - Yes. I have also applied to WJ as I would eventually like to work there. Will I be able to transfer from WJR to WJ over time?

WJ - I am sorry but this is an interview for a WJR FA position. If you want to work for WJ then you will have to wait to see if you get a call for an interview there. If you are working at WJR, you probably will not get a call because then we would have to spend thousands of dollars in training to replace you. If you get hired by WJ (unlikely) then you will go back to new-hire status, pay, and vacation.

FA - That does not sound like a very good arrangement to me. If I am good enough to work at WJR am I not automatically good enough to work at WJ? I want to be part of the WJ 'Team'. Isn't WJR part of the WJ 'Team'? The pay at WJR is only 80% of median so I cannot afford to stay there forever. I need to know that I can eventually fill a WJ FA vacancy so that I can make decent money. Also, shouldn't I get to take my seniority with me?

WJ - I am sorry. We are only hiring regional FA's here. We may consider some type of preferred hiring program for WJR FA's to fill up to 30% of WJ FA vacancies as new-hires but that is all that we are looking at right now. Meanwhile, we will hire hundreds of flight attendants ahead of you at WJ while you wait for your turn working at WJR. If you ultimately want to work for WJ, then perhaps you should wait for a call from them..... I mean us......oh whatever!


Anyways, prove that you are different and avoid the mistakes of the past. Tell prospective WJR employees the truth including whether WJ plans to spin off WJR in the future via IPO and simply maintain a commercial agreement with it. You only get one chance to do it right.

Good luck.

[DaveP]

Hi M.Essiae,
There will be two separate web postings. You choose which one you want to apply for... We won't call an applicant for a boeing interview unless they apply for WJ.

Rudder,
Most of our leadership team came from either ABC, Canadian Regional, Air Ont. (me) etc.
We lived it.

I think you get the picture. We dont want to re-live it. ive been involved in a lot of the flowthough discussion.

Cheers!

[rudder]

Hello Dave.

First suggestion - do not call it Flowthrough!

I am hoping that with the experience involved in that discussion that WJ will get it right and set a template that others will emulate. It may involve putting a little more skin in the game than you want but that is the price to pay to remain a class act. WJ long ago recognised that motivated employees add significant value to the bottom line. That will be critical if the WJR initiative is to be successful.

Cheers.