United Airlines, a Chicago-based airline, recently announced its hiring numbers for the first half of 2023. Last year, the airline hired more than 15,000 employees, and it expects to do the same this year. However, the airline has already hired 11,400 new team members in 2022, which puts them on track to achieve their yearly goal earlier than last year. The hiring process has been highly effective, with 4,600 new employees hired since May alone.
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The airline has hired over 700 pilots, anticipating a future shortage of pilots in the industry. In addition, they have recruited more than 700 maintenance technicians for aircraft, ground service, and facilities. Besides, over 1,000 new flight attendants, 900 customer service and ramp service employees, 100 contact center team members, and 700 corporate support team members have joined the airline.
United Airlines has been using various processes to hire new employees, including over 200 in-person and virtual hiring events across different business functions. The airline has also seen a 56% increase in job applications.
The airline has promoted 380 internal team members to management positions and welcomed nearly 450 Guam residents to support ramp operations in Denver. To retain new employees, United Airlines has implemented a program called Accelerate, which assigns new hires to a team with three to four other new hires. The program pairs new hires with veteran gate workers to learn new processes quickly. The program has been successful in improving efficiency, reducing incidents or injuries on the tarmac, and increasing the airline's Net Promoter Score. The retention rate in Denver, where the program is active, has increased from 57% to 73%, and the airline plans to launch Accelerate in six more airports.