Spring is a time of renewal, and that includes Air Canada, where 300 fledgling flight attendants are expected to earn their wings this month. It is an impressive number of new jobs, made more so given that this graduating class represents only a portion of the nearly 7,500 hires we and Air Canada Rouge plan to make in 2018.
Our global expansion has increased our size more than 50 percent in less than a decade. Spending on new aircraft and amenities has helped drive this growth, but the main reason we are thriving is the high and increasing level of service we provide. In turn, this creates even more demand, propelling a virtuous circle where we must accelerate our hiring to raise our standards ever higher to compete with the world’s best carriers.
The competition for talent is as intense as the competition for customers. Already, Air Canada holds tremendous appeal for jobseekers, having been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for five consecutive years. But even though our website Careers page receives nearly 60,000 visits monthly and there are over 390 applicants for each vacancy posted, we must continue to innovate to ensure we attract the best candidates.
With millennials constituting more of the workforce – they will make up 75 percent by 2025 – we are adopting more sophisticated online and mobile channels to engage this group. We are also broadening our approach to use technology to cultivate relationships with promising prospects, even when there is no immediate, suitable opening.
Later this year, we will further refine the process, using powerful interactive Artificial Intelligence and facial-recognition programs to evaluate potential employees for things such as linguistic abilities. This technology will speed assessments, for example reducing the flight attendant interview process to three steps from the current eight steps, saving candidates time and effort and enabling our recruiters to develop more accurate profiles. In an age when concerns about creating good jobs are widespread, particularly for young people, Air Canada is in hiring mode. We are proud to provide opportunities for deserving people to develop their skills, enjoy a challenging career and put their talents to good use taking care of our customers.
Calin’s column appears every month in enRoute Magazine, Air Canada’s award-winning in-flight magazine found onboard all Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express flights. This edition is from the April 2018 issue.
