High volume recruitment in aviation refers to the hiring of many people at once for the same or a similar role. This type of recruitment typically involves filling numerous positions simultaneously, often for roles such as cabin crew, ground staff, or pilots, to meet operational demands efficiently. The process can be extremely laborious and time consuming as candidates have to go through various interview and assessment stages before they are given the final decision. In this article, we are going to look at the different ways you can make your volume recruitment more efficient and enjoyable for candidates and recruiters. We will also acknowledge some of the most common challenges of high volume aviation recruitment, and provide guidance on how to overcome them.
How does volume recruitment work in aviation?
Volume recruitment requires finding multiple people for the same or a similar role that usually has low barriers for entry such as cabin crew and ground staff. Due to the highly regulated nature of aviation, all candidates have to undergo rigorous security and background checks as well as role specific skills assessments to determine their suitability. High volume recruitment can also attract a huge number of applicants, creating an overwhelming task for recruiters who need to carefully review each application before they shortlist the best ones.
According to recent survey results, the average job seeker needs about 122 days to receive a job offer, and the average job application processing time can take approximately 28 days before an offer is made. With the aviation industry’s international reach, candidates can apply from all over the world, as long as they have the permit to live and work in the country of employment. As recruiters try to navigate their way through the countless applications that they receive on a daily basis, we have compiled a list of different ways to make the process easier.
5 ways to improve your aviation volume recruitment strategy
1. Prioritise candidate experience and communication
When candidates have a positive recruitment experience, they are more likely to remain
engaged with the recruiter. It’s important to have a generally short and well organised process in place to avoid unnecessary hurdles that could cause candidates to abandon the role altogether. A recent study found that 78% of candidates would drop out or consider dropping out of the hiring process due to lengthy interviews and complicated recruitment processes. Interestingly, only 9% of surveyed HR professionals believed that candidates would find the hiring process complicated. Failure to acknowledge the negative consequences of bad recruitment practices, may result in losing quality candidates.
2. Speed up the shortlisting and hiring processes
Staying engaged with your candidates is extremely important as it’s highly likely that they may already be in contact with other recruiters and airlines who could offer them the job long before you do. To mitigate the risk of losing them to a competitor, it’s highly advisable to reduce hiring timescales to avoid your candidates losing interest. It’s also important to remove unnecessary barriers in the recruitment process that can push candidates away, such as repetitive interview stages or long processing timescales.
3. Invest in a good candidate selection platform and a reliable CMS (candidate management system) and ATS (applicant tracking system)
Candidate selection platforms are digital systems that use several assessments to gather candidate data. These platforms leverage various assessments, including but not limited to evaluations of experience, skills, and qualifications, to streamline the shortlisting process. By employing sophisticated algorithms and data analytics, these platforms optimise hiring decisions, enabling recruiters to make more accurate assessments of candidates' suitability for aviation roles. With aviation’s rapid advancements and evolving demands, the ability to make quick but informed hiring decisions is essential. Candidate selection platforms play a crucial role in meeting this demand by expediting the hiring process without compromising on the quality of hires.
Once you have selected your candidates, you would need a reliable CMS and ATS to efficiently organise and maintain candidate information, with their consent. These systems enable you to easily manage and access candidate details, including their CVs, ensuring that the information remains organised and readily available when needed. This capability is especially vital when recruiting for multiple positions within the same role or across similar roles, as it streamlines the recruitment process and boosts overall efficiency.
4. Reach out to both past and new candidates and follow up consistently
In high-volume recruitment, managing the influx of applications can be overwhelming for both candidates and recruiters alike. Besides sourcing new candidates, it's valuable to reconnect with past applicants who may have developed new skills or advanced in their careers since their last interaction. Using various communication channels such as email, phone calls, or social media can help maintain engagement with both past and new candidates.
Once you've identified the top candidates, consistent follow-up throughout the recruitment process is essential to sustain their interest. In the dynamic aviation industry, staying ahead of the competition requires proactive efforts to keep candidates engaged. Regular check-ins, personalised communications, and updates on the recruitment progress can significantly increase the likelihood of retaining candidate interest and commitment.
5. Expand your audience reach using a recruitment consultancy's large candidate network
A recruitment consultancy can help you expand your candidate network through tailored job ads aimed at their own pool of candidates and beyond. These tailored ads are carefully created to resonate with job seekers, ensuring that your job opportunities reach qualified candidates who may not always be accessible through traditional recruitment channels such as job boards and social media. In addition, a recruitment consultancy can customise the ads and content to align with your brand identity and messaging to reach and attract top talent while effectively conveying your employer brand. This approach not only saves time and resources but also maximises the effectiveness of your recruitment efforts, ultimately leading to a more successful hiring outcome for your organisation.
Challenges and solutions of high volume recruitment in aviation
Quality vs quantity
As the term suggests, high volume recruitment requires hiring a large number of people at once within a very short time. It’s easy for recruiters to fall into traps as they try to find suitable candidates. For example, focusing more on filling in the numbers rather than thoroughly checking each individual's qualifications and suitability. As quantity mistakenly becomes a higher priority, recruiters run the risk of selecting unsuitable candidates as a result. It’s important to remember that making the right selection of candidates will also facilitate retention rates in the long run. By selecting candidates who are well-suited to the role and the company culture, there is a higher likelihood that they will be satisfied and successful in their positions, thus contributing to higher retention rates and stability within the airline.
Candidate fatigue
Whether candidates apply for cabin crew or ground staff roles, they would have to pass several
interview rounds and assessments before they get hired. The average recruitment can take up to 43 days to complete which can be problematic for companies who want to recruit highly sought after candidates and remain competitive. For high volume recruitment, it could take even longer as recruiters have to schedule individual screening first, and then coordinate assessment days for everyone involved. Candidates who are in urgent need of a job might choose to either look elsewhere or drop out of the recruitment process. Others might find the process too stressful and inconvenient which can deter them from continuing. To prevent candidates from dropping out, you should reduce waiting times and simplify complex interview processes.
Time constraints
Airlines often set their own recruitment deadlines as they need to have people available to help them with their tight schedules. However, timing isn’t always favourable as many potential candidates may not be available at the designated assessment days, causing delays and more complications in the process. In addition, May to October is a much busier period for aviation due to the higher passenger demand which leads to an increase of flights, and a heightened need for aviation staff around the world. Competition for new hires intensifies during that busy period, and recruiters compete for talent and candidate attention while grappling with meeting tight deadlines. To mitigate the impact of time constraints, it is advisable to prepare in advance and start your recruitment efforts much earlier. By doing so, you can avoid the pressure of rushed hiring decisions, and ensure a more thorough evaluation of candidates.
Compliance and pre-screening efficiency
Compliance and pre-screening efficiency are paramount in aviation recruitment, especially considering the diverse backgrounds of many candidates. Each country has its own set of employment regulations, necessitating that hiring teams have a thorough understanding of these regulations to assess candidates effectively and ensure compliance. By adhering to country-specific interview and assessment criteria, recruiters can accurately evaluate candidates on an individual basis and facilitate a smooth recruitment process.
In summary
High volume recruitment can be a difficult task for both candidates and hiring teams as the process entails several stages during which a lot of unpredictable outcomes can occur. It’s not uncommon to encounter pitfalls such as managing a large influx of applications, coordinating interviews with multiple candidates, and ensuring fair and efficient selection processes. Similarly, candidates face challenges navigating through a competitive job market, enduring long wait times for responses, and experiencing uncertainty about the status of their applications. By making some adjustments to their recruitment processes, the hiring process can be expedited, enhancing the candidate experience, and ultimately leading to more successful outcomes for both parties involved.
The AeroProfessional team are specialists in the recruitment and selection of aviation professionals across the globe. Reach out to the team today to discuss your current high volume recruitment challenges and gain the expert advice and guidance you need to ensure your hiring strategy gains maximum success.
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