The current pilot shortage means today's corporate pilot employer can’t afford to turn away any qualified job seekers.

At BizJetJobs, we're seeing the end of the “you should be grateful to work here” paradigm.

It has been replaced with a more employee-centric approach, focused on “why should employees work (or keep working) for you?” Your ability as an employer to find, develop, and retain the best people is the single greatest factor in determining your success. We at BizJetJobs have seen a shift in our successful aviation employer job posts: from job posts that are all about the requirements to posts that include benefits to the pilot.

Is a dated approach to job postings narrowing your talent pool more than you realize?

Here’s how to upgrade your job postings for the current corporate pilot job marketplace in 2023.

Rethink Job Posting Best Practices to Widen Your Talent Pool

Today’s pilots are not only scarce, but increasingly selective. This gives them the power to demand more from you as an employer, including better pay and benefits, flexibility, and a work environment that supports greater personal well-being and happiness.

Companies that make strategic changes to widen their talent pools will thrive in this environment. When done correctly, posting a job on our corporate pilot job board at BizJetJobs is an essential recruiting function that can act as a gateway to finding the right pilots.

Though many recruiters don’t realize it, things can become unintentionally exclusionary around aspects like requirements and preferred skills, as well as years of experience. Here's how to make sure you're not throwing out the wheat with the chaff.

Mistake #1: Skills & Qualifications List is Too Long

Limit the requirements for each job posting to only the most essential. Here's how:

• What are the must-have skills or habits for success in this role? An overly exhaustive list of skills or habits may discourage prospective applicants from applying. If something is just a “nice to have” and not a “must have,” leave it off of your job description.
• Ensure all requirements can be fairly assessed. If you can’t assess a qualification based on someone’s resume or during a screening interview, then it’s probably not worth including.
• Specific skills are best. Replace overused phrases like “must be flexible” or “good at multitasking” in favor of more concrete job skills. Focusing on a short list of must-have skills will enable you to more effectively screen candidates in or out.

Do include concrete details in your job post - this gets pilots talking! Include potential deal-breakers like a demanding schedule or last-minute flying. If you want to find successful people, start by defining what success in that role looks like. This will both create a memorable job post and help you get your ideal candidate more quickly. Setting clear expectations and including concrete "must have" details about the job from the beginning means you’ll get a better fit in the end.

Mistake #2: Leaving Out Salary and / or Benefits

Since salary is almost always going to be top-of-mind, employers need to make sure the pay they offer is in line with industry standards. An increasing number of corporate pilot employers are turning to salary surveys like ours to take the guesswork out of determining pilot pay.

If you know you can offer competitive compensation for corporate pilots, say so in your job post! Jobs that include pay or salary range information are shared ten times more often than jobs that don’t.

Our most successful employers are now offering bonuses to pilots who stay on with them for a given period of time, instead of holding pilots to training contracts. You catch more flies with honey!

High turnover rate? The corporate aviation world is a small one, and people talk. As a corporate aviation department or charter company, we believe your ability as an employer / operator to find, develop, and retain good people is the single greatest factor in determining your success.

What will candidates love about this job? What do employees say they love about your company? What can you tell us about your team? Are they a fun group to work with? Showing you know what pilots care about tells them they will be in good hands as an employee.

• If you can offer home-based positions for pilots commuting from home, say so in your job post. These types of positions are especially attractive to pilots who have young families, or those who have retired to their dream location. Most pilots, however, are unique in their ability and willingness to relocate.
• If you’re not allowing pilots to commute, explain why they would want to relocate to your geography, and convince them it’s a great idea. Tell them where they can expect to fly, and where your company typically flies. Exotic locations can be huge selling points for the right adventure-loving pilot!
• Concise & clear wins the day! “10 days hard work per month,” “average workweek is 5 nights per week,” or “average flight time is 400 hours per year per pilot” helps set expectations right away, and will help you find the right pilot. If you’re having trouble filling a position, consider offering democratically determined schedules, or fewer days on in a row.

Mistake #3: Arbitrary Degree Requirements

Degree requirements pose a significant barrier for job seekers who may have on-the-job experience and hard-earned skills, but not a college education. Almost two-thirds of U.S. adults age 25 and older do not have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Shifting the focus from degrees to skills-based hiring will help widen your pool of applicants. Employers should not default to requiring a degree just because “that’s the way it’s always been done.”

It’s easy to leave a job, but it’s hard to leave colleagues that feel like family, a company and a cause you believe in, and a team that’s counting on you. When times get tough, the company with the clearly defined set of values and a great corporate culture offer compelling reasons for its best pilots to stay.

Need to find a pilot today? Have an important, open position and need help finding the right candidate?

Employers, register here to search our roster of qualified pilots, find contract pilots and post your open positions. You'll begin receiving qualified applications right away.

Finding a balance between informational and engaging information can be a challenge. Call us here at BizJetJobs - we can help! Speak with a Corporate Aviation Staffing Specialist and ask for help fleshing out your job post. Our large pool of qualified aviation professionals can fill temporary and permanent aviation positions. You want a crew member who is trained and skilled on your aircraft, has the right certifications, and fits within your corporate flight department culture. Let us help you craft that winning job post, and find a pilot today!