Would you want to spend four days on a trip with this person?
That’s the unusual question United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby uses when evaluating pilot candidates. Kirby asks a handpicked group of highly respected pilots to assess whether an interviewee is someone they’d genuinely enjoy traveling and working with for several days. If the answer is “no,” the candidate can be eliminated—regardless of their qualifications.
The goal? Find people who care about others, work well with teammates, and create a positive experience for both colleagues and passengers.
With competition for airline jobs at an all-time high, United receives around 75,000 applications for just 3,000 flight attendant positions—an acceptance rate of only about 4%.
Kirby believes technical skills can be taught, but attitude, teamwork, and customer service mindset are what truly set exceptional employees apart.
Would you pass United’s “four-day trip” test? 