It’s February 2009 already, and we are nearing the holiday of love, yes Valentine’s Day. Oh stop rolling your eyes; you know you love to love as much as the rest of us. Ok, well I admit that I do love to be in the state of love especially while I am at work. Yes, it is possible to express loving qualities at work without losing your job and not feeling awkward. Well, at least if you work at Southwest Airlines. As many of our fans of Southwest know, we are considered the “LUV” airline. Our Dallas Station is located at Love Field, our NYSE ticker symbol is LUV, and all of our Employees are motivated to express love with a Servant’s Heart. What’s a Servant’s Heart? I am so glad you asked! Having a Servant’s Heart simply means a genuine act of giving or helpful activity. In this Luving Company we are encouraged to use our Servant’s Heart to express our individual talents and skills which is actually giving to ourselves at the same time. Giving does not necessarily mean that we give all that we have and are left without something of value. When we give of ourselves, while utilizing our natural talents we feel a sense of accomplishment, and feel good. Who doesn’t want to feel good? That is a rhetorical question so, please do not reply with your top ten different reasons why you like to be negative 😃 As a hiring Manager in the Midwest Region, our Team is constantly looking for examples of a Servant’s Heart from our interview Candidates. These examples are not necessarily great acts of heroism, but rather a reflection of what one does on a daily basis without thinking about it, and to a Recruiter that is typically a sign of a natural talent. When someone has a natural talent of using their Servant’s Heart then we see that as a possible sign that this individual may be a good addition to Southwest Airlines. An example of one of our newly hired Employees’ using her natural talents was brought to us by her Team Leader, Jayne Cunningham: “Jean is patient, happy, caring, and positive. Expect to be greeted with a smile when you see her. She loves challenges and uses them as an opportunity to grow. She practices “The Golden Rule” treating the Customer the way she would want to be treated. Jean always strives to achieve “Positively Outrageous Customer Service”—something we all should be striving for!” (Jean Zarecki, Customer Support & Services Representative). Jean Zarecki is a great example of how one can use what comes naturally to them to demonstrate a Servant’s Heart in the workplace. In addition to Jean, there are so many examples of people that have lived with a Servant’s Heart in history. In January, we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday, and his life is a great example of giving and expressing love through his talent of Leadership. He once stated “Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” So, this Valentine’s Day I challenge you to look at expressing your love in a different way. Instead of purchasing an obligatory gift of candy, cards, and flowers why not give the gift of your Servant’s Heart. It is a gift that comes from your natural talents; it is not necessarily some amazing heroic feat but rather an expression of your heart. This has a value that is immeasurable and timeless, and can be accomplished with what comes naturally to you. Now, get out there and serve with your Servant’s Heart!
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03-06-2008
06:37 PM
2 Loves
Hi Sal,
Thank you for your email as well as for your interest in Southwest Airlines. I hope we will see you at one of our Group Information Sessions soon. Your question about the Group Information Session is a common one and many people express confusion and/or anxiety about the process, typically because they have not experienced it before.
11 years ago when I was interviewing with Southwest Airlines I had never heard of a Group Information Session and I was incredibly nervous just before the process because I did not know what to expect. However, once the process began and I saw how friendly the Recruiter and the Employee were, I was able to relax. It was then that I realized the key to doing my best in an interview involves my ability to calm down enough to express myself clearly.
To answer your question the Group Information Session will have several people that are interested in the same position (ie Ramp Agent). We send out invitations and sometimes we can have 20+ people respond and sometimes less. We set up the chairs in a half circle so we can all see and hear each other. During the Group Information Session we do our best to tell our Candidates about all of the great things the position entails as well as the awesome benefits Southwes Airlines offers its Employees. There is so much information to share it is difficult to accomplish this task and finish the Group Session within a few hours. Then yes we do ask everyone to stand up one at a time, state their name, and answer a question or two that relates to the position you are interviewing for.
I am not able to tell you the questions not because they are top secret, but rather because they do change from time to time and vary based on the position one is interviewing for. If you were interviewing for Customer Service Agent the Recruiter may ask you to discuss a time you delivered excellent Customer Service. If you were interviewing for Ramp Agent you may asked about a time you worked in a position that required continuous lifting. The questions are always related to the position that one is interviewing for.
The good news is you are only speaking for a short period of time and the other good news is that in that short period of time you have the opportunity to answer the questions asked of you and really let your experiences and personality shine. I hope this helps with your questions and again I hope to see you in one of our Group Information Sessions soon!
Regards,
Tim Conners
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09-05-2007
04:15 PM
2 Loves
Hi Sonya,
Thank you for participating in our Nashville, Customer Service Agent interview process. Nahsville is a great city and a great place to work. I am happy to know that you are ***excited*** 😃 about the position and I wanted to provide you with some information about our background process (fingerprints, drug screening, background check).
Once an individual has passed all of the background screening we look to see if the job the individual interviewed for is currently open. Then we look to see how many people, that were selected from their interviews have passed background, and we call them on a Ã
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06-24-2007
01:03 AM
2 Loves
Hi Arnold,
Well, it sounds like you have attended one of our Group Information Sessions, I hope it was informational as well as enjoyable 😃 On average, it can take approximately 2-3 weeks to receive the results regarding your interview. We would like to get back to folks quicker however, there are several steps involved in this process which can be time consuming. As you may already know Southwest Airlines receives approximately 250,000 resumes year, whew! We are sooooo fortunate and grateful to have that kind of interest! If you have been waiting longer than 3 weeks it truly is ok to call the office and inquire about your interview results. If you do not have the phone number you can contact 214-792-4000 and your call will be directed to the appropriate location.
As for your second question regarding your Veteran status, while your service to our Country is admirable it is not factored into the decision to hire or not to hire. Our Recruiters focus on your skills, abilities, work history and work style. We know that there are great Employees in many different fields with diverse experiences and skills. So we ask questions that will provide you an opportunity to show off those great talents and skills. Southwest Airlines values all of your work experience however, we spend most of our time getting to know how you work rather than where you've worked. I hope I have answered your questions. If not, please feel free to email me and we can discuss these topics further. (tim.conners@wnco.com)
Good luck to you and thank you for serving our Country!
Tim Conners
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03-30-2007
12:20 AM
1 Love
Hi Kim,
Thank you for your question! Ahhh, the words every job seeker wants to hear "You're Hired!". Well, once an individual has passed all of the background screening we look to see if the job the individual interviewed for is currently open. Then we look to see how many people, that were selected from their interviews have passed background, and we call them on a "first cleared" basis. If we are actively hiring for that position we provide at least two weeks notice as a courtesy to both the Applicant and their current Employer (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you- the ole Golden Rule). If we are not actively hiring we will contact the individual to let them know that they have passed the hiring process and will be placed in a "pool" until a position opens up. One can remain in a hiring pool for approximately 1 year, although in most locations that rarely occurs. If you have not heard from us recently please feel free to call our Employment Office and ask for the status on your background tests. I hope this provides you with the guidance you need. If not please feel free to email me (tim.conners@wnco.com) and I will be happy to assist you in any way I can.
Looking forward to working with you soon!
Tim Conners
Regional Employment Manager/MDW
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03-15-2007
03:46 PM
1 Love
Hi Gregory,
I am glad that you are interested in Southwest Airlines! I am an Employment Manager working in Chicago, and Philadelphia is one of the cities I am fortunate to work with. SWA truly is a great Company to work for, but I guess you have probably already figured that out 😃 The Group Session can feel a bit odd at first if you have not participated in one before (at least, that is how I felt when first going) however, it can also be quite fun. Basically, the Group Information Session is broken into two parts and can last up to 2 hours. Part I involves a Recruiter and usually a member from the Philadelphia station describing the position and the benefits of the Company. Then we allow for a break in which one can reflect on the information shared and decide to stay or leave if one feels that the position would not be a good fit for him/her. The second part is when we get to know you a bit more and ask you a question. Once the Group Information Session is over we thank everyone for coming and provide information as to how/when you will hear from us. Again, I am glad that you are interested in Southwest Airlines and I hope you will be joining our family!
Sincerely,
Tim Conners
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02-02-2007
12:04 AM
1 Love
Hi Shaky,
Thank you for your question regarding the Ramp Agent wage steps. I am a Field Employment Manager located in the Windy City-Chicago (Go Bears!). A wage step is defined as having completed one year of service with Southwest Airlines. For example, as you stated the first wage step for a Ramp Agent that has completed one year of service would go from $8.75/hour to $10.18/hour. In our current TWU contract, Step 5 is $14.97 and step 11 (top out) is currently $24.00. As you can see this is a competitive pay structure, especially when you add the value of our excellent benefits! I am also very happy to let you know that Southwest Airlines has never reduced the pay of our Employees, even during the very challenging times following 9/11/01. Hopefully, I have answered your question regarding Ramp Agent wages and we will see you in one of our Ramp Information Sessions in the near future!
Tim Conners
tim.conners@wnco.com
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