United Airlines CEO Uses Secret Lunch Test to Hire Pilots

United Airlines figured out how to spot pilots who have the right stuff, and it happens before candidates even realize they're being tested.

CEO Scott Kirby built a hiring system around a simple truth: anyone can nail a formal interview, but character reveals itself over casual conversation. When pilot candidates visit United headquarters, a friendly pilot escorts them between meetings, grabs lunch with them, and shows them around the building. That helpful guide isn't just being nice. They're conducting the most important part of the interview.

Kirby handpicked a dozen well-liked pilots and gave them one instruction: decide if you'd want to spend a four-day trip with this person. If the answer is no, the candidate is out. The escort pilot gets full veto power.

For pilots, four-day trips aren't hypothetical. They're the reality of the job, long stretches in close quarters with the same crew. The question cuts straight to what matters: does this person care about others? Would you actually want to work alongside them when things get stressful at 30,000 feet?

Kirby shared the approach in an April interview with McKinsey, explaining that technical skills are teachable but character isn't. United can train someone to fly a plane, but they can't train someone to be genuinely kind or reliable under pressure.

The stakes are higher than they sound. When United opens applications for 2,000 flight attendant positions, they receive 75,000 applications within hours. The airline needs a way to find people who won't just do the job well, but who will make everyone around them better at theirs.

Why This Inspires

Kirby's philosophy extends beyond pilots. United remains one of the few places where someone with a high school diploma can start as a flight attendant or ramp worker and build a six-figure career with benefits. In an economy where those paths are disappearing, United is betting that character and work ethic matter more than credentials on paper.

The lunch test went viral on social media, sparking debate about whether likability should matter as much as skill. But Kirby sees no conflict. Technical ability gets you in the door. The dozen pilots at lunch are checking for everything that happens after.

His career advice matches his hiring philosophy: don't have a grand plan, and if you're not having fun, do something different.

Sometimes the best way to find the right people is to stop looking at resumes and start paying attention to how they treat a stranger over lunch.