Roanoke, Texas (March 1, 2016) JSfirm.com, an aviation only job website, released their Hiring Trends Survey for 2016. Jeff Richards, JSfirm.com Operations Manager said, "It's no surprise to us that aviation professionals are in high demand. Regarding number of job postings, JSfirm.com experienced our best January ever."
In summary:
• 448 aviation companies across various sectors were surveyed
• 85% will hire in 2016
• 76% are projecting growth in 2016
• Maintenance technicians, Avionics and Pilots are in high demand
• Survey results can be found on http://www.jsfirm.com/2016hiring.asp
Results: Aviation Industry 2016 Hiring Trends and Expectations
Q1 - Approximately how many people does your company employ?
Answers Responses Percent
1 - 10 98 22.07%
11 - 30 106 23.87%
31 - 50 66 14.86%
51 - 100 55 12.39%
101 - 200 47 10.59%
201 - 500 35 7.88%
501+ 37 8.33%
Q2 - Were any jobs cut from your company last year (2015)?
Answers Responses Percent
None 338 75.78%
1 - 5 64 14.35%
6 - 10 25 5.61%
11 - 20 11 2.47%
21 - 50 4 0.90%
51 - 100 1 0.22%
101 - 200 1 0.22%
201 + 2 0.45%
Q3 - How many people did your company hire last year (2015)?
Answers Responses Percent
None 50 11.24%
1 - 5 185 41.57%
6 - 10 63 14.16%
11 - 20 46 10.34%
21 - 50 38 8.54%
51 - 100 27 6.07%
101 - 200 13 2.92%
201+ 23 5.17%
Q4 - What retention tools does your company use to minimize turnover?
Answers Responses Percent
We pay higher wages 185 12.08%
Our benefits are better than average 187 12.21%
Flex Schedules 180 11.76%
Additional time off 76 4.96%
The ability of the employee to speak their minds 212 13.85%
Recognition and appreciation 244 15.94%
Talent and skill utilization 187 12.21%
Educational reimbursement 80 5.23%
Continuing education / training 135 8.82%
Other 45 2.94%
Q5 - In 2016, my company is projecting:
Answers Responses Percent
Significant growth 45 10.14%
Moderate growth 294 66.22%
No Growth 72 16.22%
Moderate decline 5 1.13%
Significant decline 1 0.23%
Not sure 27 6.08%
Q6 - How many people will your company be hiring this year (2016)?
Answers Responses Percent
1 - 5 188 42.25%
6 - 10 63 14.16%
11 - 20 34 7.64%
21 - 50 40 8.99%
51 - 100 25 5.62%
101 - 200 9 2.02%
201+ 19 4.27%
Likely not hiring 67 15.06%
Q7 - When do you expect your company to hire? (Select all that apply)
Answers Responses Percent
1st Quarter 2016 (Jan - March) 203 24.43%
2nd Quarter 2016 (April - June) 258 31.05%
3rd Quarter 2016 (July - Sept) 172 20.70%
4th Quarter 2016 (Oct - Dec) 106 12.76%
N/A 92 11.07%
Q8 - What type of people will your company be hiring this year?
Answers Responses Percent
Avionics 133 9.70%
Maintenance 252 18.38%
Sheet metal/Structures/Composites/Fabricators/Machine Operators 85 6.20%
Interiors/Cabinetry/Upholstery 35 2.55%
Paint 37 2.70%
Quality Assurance 63 4.60%
Safety (SMS) 29 2.12%
Engineers 59 4.30%
Pilots 194 14.15%
Flight Attendants 18 1.31%
Dispatchers 39 2.84%
Line Service 62 4.52%
Sales/Marketing/Business Development 57 4.16%
Social Media Manager 13 0.95%
Customer Service 68 4.96%
Administration including Human Resources/Recruiting 65 4.74%
Management 77 5.62%
N/A 54 3.94%
Other 31 2.26%
Q9 - What type of aircraft does your company primarily support?
Answers Responses Percent
Helicopter 160 21.42%
General aviation: single and light twin engine aircraft 195 26.10%
Corporate aircraft: Lear, Citation, Hawker, Gulfstream, etc. 193 25.84%
Commercial/Transport Category: wide body aircraft, transport, etc. 89 11.91%
Military: F-16, C130, V-22, etc. 56 7.50%
Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS / UAV) 18 2.41%
N/A 12 1.61%
Other 24 3.21%
Q10 - Which best describes the service your company provides?
Answers Responses Percent
Airport/FBO 93 15.12%
Maintenance Repair and Overhaul 100 16.26%
OEM 24 3.90%
Aircraft Operator 182 29.59%
Association 6 0.98%
Support Service such as insurance, software, data, etc 10 1.63%
School or Training Center 55 8.94%
Staffing/Recruiting 36 5.85%
Sales/Distribution/Lease 27 4.39%
Other 82 13.33%
Q11 - What is the biggest challenge you have finding qualified aviation talent?
Answers Responses Percent t
No problem 66 8.96%
Our location 108 14.65%
Finding effective resources 65 8.82%
Lack of experience 213 28.90%
Candidate pay expectations are too high 137 18.59%
Our company pay is below standard 33 4.48%
Lack of feedback from hiring managers 17 2.31%
No time to actually recruit 53 7.19%
Other 45 6.11 %
Q12 - What resources do you use to find aviation specific talent?
Answers Responses Percent
Non aviation websites (monster, careerbuilder, indeed, etc.) 144 10.20%
Aviation specific websites (JSfirm, pilotjobs, avianation, etc.) 301 21.32%
Professional Networking websites (linkedin) 145 10.27%
Social Media websites (facebook, twitter, etc.) 93 6.59%
Aviation contract labor companies 45 3.19%
Aviation direct hire recruiting companies 35 2.48%
Aviation job fairs 57 4.04%
Local newspapers 59 4.18%
Industry magazines 28 1.98%
Aviation schools 112 7.93%
Paid referrals from internal employees 72 5.10%
Word of mouth 288 20.40%
Other 33 2.34%
Q13 - What is your attrition rate? (percentage of turnover for direct hire personnel only)
Answers Responses Percent
N/A we are a staffing agency 25 5.68%
Less than 5% 220 50.00%
6- 10% 72 16.36%
11 - 15% 38 8.64%
16 - 20% 32 7.27%
21 - 25% 19 4.32%
26 - 30% 5 1.14%
31 - 35% 4 0.91%
36 - 40% 10 2.27%
Greater than 40% 15 3.41%
About JSfirm.com
JSfirm.com is the most recommended aviation job website. Founded in 1999, they have been providing service to the aviation industry for over 15 years. JSfirm.com is a free service for Job Seekers. The company’s comprehensive website includes access to job postings, direct email of new employment opportunities, free resume builder and networking tools. Companies receive direct access to resumes, management tools, and unlimited job postings with multiple user capabilities and a dedicated Account Manager to help plan a company’s candidate search program. For more information, visit: www.jsfirm.com or call 724-547-6203.
