In the airline industry, flight attendants’ work ethic is assessed by a variety of behavioral indicators. Indeed, the online career platform suggests that candidates who are “poised and resourceful” be hired, particularly because they will be required to navigate a physically demanding and socially diverse environment.
For instance, JetBlue Airways’ recruitment team prioritizes flight attendants who are cooperative; however, this was not always the case. The instruction was facilitated by data analytics.
Beneficial versus amicable
Historically, JetBlue prioritized candidates’ level of amiability with passengers as the most critical qualification for flight attendants. Psychological assessments, structured interviews, and video interviews were implemented by the recruiting team.
Ryan Dullaghan, JetBlue’s general manager of people data insights, stated, “We had always sought out the most amiable individuals to be in the air with our customers.”
The feedback from passengers set the company on a new trajectory when the company conducted a consumer data analysis with the Wharton Business School.
A flight attendant who was affable was an obvious choice. However, consumer data indicated that being helpful was more significant than being merely pleasant.
Dullaghan stated at a conference on people analytics at Wharton, “People will inform you that they are aware of the appropriate candidate for a particular position.” “However, our own opinions are not always the most advantageous.”
The recruiting team modified their standards and sifted through over 125,000 flight crew applications annually as a result of this new insight.
“Once you have identified the appropriate profile and have overcome the noise and beliefs of others, you can make a significant impact on your organization,” stated Dullaghan.
He stated that improved candidate profiling results in superior recruiting outcomes, which in turn contribute to increased employee engagement and retention.
JetBlue has achieved a 12% reduction in employee absences and a half-point increase in consumer satisfaction, as evidenced by its Net Promoter Score.
According to Dullaghan, the recruiting process can have a significant impact on the entire organization when a single point of NPS is worth a significant amount of money.