Sir - I note the interesting juxtaposition of letters ("Psychologists analyse thyselves" and "Is there an anti-poaching scheme?", Flight International, 6-12 December, 1995, P93).
I am not a psychologist, but I have worked in recruitment and selection, and I think that both letters miss some crucial points.
Captain Jenkins deals with the way in which job selections are made. Psychologists will, as part of their training, have sat most of the tests which they use. Selection is about filtering out and psychometrics, interviews, aircraft and simulator rides, group discussions, etc are all valid tools. The most significant selection process is a mix of these tools tailored to the needs of the company. Results should not be taken in isolation, and the company was right to ignore the evidence of tests if it had some other, more valid, information.
Interviews are probably one of the least valid selection methods in use, with only handwriting analysis and horoscopes doing worse. Using the simulator as a criterion has some validity, but at a cost. What price would you put on a "team of experienced company pilots taking as much time as is needed, plus a simulator check", when the number of applicants could exceed 1,000? Each successful candidate would have to work free of charge for, say, the first three years just to recover the cost of his or her selection.
NORMAN MacLEOD
Huntingdon, Cambridge, UK
Source: Flight International
