FAA is turning to social media to hire 1,400 new air traffic controllers
When you need to hire hundreds of tech-savvy millennials, it only makes sense that you recruit on social media.
That is what the Federal Aviation Administration has done to try to hire 1,400 air traffic controllers to replace hundreds of workers who were hired after the 1981 air traffic controller’s strike and are now reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.
The number of fully certified controllers, just over 10,600, is the lowest in 27 years. Many of those controllers are working six-day weeks to keep up with the workload, according to congressional reports.
More than 29,000 people have already applied for the 1,400 positions, which were advertised on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as well as government job sites. Applicants must be 35 or younger so they can put in at least 25 years before they reach the mandatory retirement age.
“Most of the potential applicants are 20-somethings, who use social media extensively, so we use those platforms to get the word out to our target audience,” FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said.
During a congressional hearing on the subject in June, lawmakers criticized the FAA for not maintaining adequate staffing levels to avoid the overtime demand and worried that if more controllers were not hired soon, the shortage would lead to flight delays.
“It is not clear why the FAA has dropped the ball on controller hiring, placement and training given the fact that these mass retirements were anticipated for years,” said Rep. BIll Shuster (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
But FAA officials say the hiring process has been delayed by the government sequestration in 2013 and budget cuts to its training academy. The deadline for applying for the positions is Tuesday.
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