I see your point completely QX. Just to back you up. I don't think it's insane for hiring and dispatch managers to think of the clique and habit factor. Actually, I think it's smart. And I have some experience with this in the same building where you work.
When I moved from Connecticut with Southern to CVG to help start things up, all of a sudden we had a wholesale change of dispatchers. Only 3 of us who were invited to tag along took it. Though ex-Comair had the biggest group, I think we had 5 or 6 prior airlines represented in all. All were great and the different backgrounds brought us in the old guard to think differently in a lot of ways. A great team of individuals.
The Comair group was pretty tightly knit and, by numbers, became the most influential cadre of dispatchers on a number of levels. Again - great people, but I'm glad we didn't have many more. It would have just become Comair International. In some ways it already was at higher levels up on the chain. But it was cliquish. It couldn't help but be. And there's nothing inherently wrong with that. And, like I said, it was good to have different ways of thinking to improve the operation overall when and where it could reasonably be accomplished.
But when a large group, who worked together for years, at a different airline, with different resources, with a different scope of operations, with different aircraft, with different desks, with different keyboards and mice, with different this that and the other thing - comes into a completely different sort of airline, there are some unique challenges and divisions that are inevitable. They sure exist with pilots during mergers and acquisitions. Wouldn’t it also be quite noticeable in an office environment?
I won’t expand with any specifics, but yes. QX is absolutely right. By hiring overwhelmingly from one outside airline Atlas management would be stacking the deck against themselves. If Atlas can’t adapt and grant the suggestions and wishes of a number of dispatchers who begin sentences with “You know, back at ExpressJet we…” then they risk disappointing a large portion of their employee base. And it becomes difficult, if not exhausting in some issues, to have to explain to them why you can’t make it that way.
After enough of that, do you think that the new group would simply be satisfied and content amongst themselves when discussing their workplace and the operation? Hard to see that happening. If Atlas-SOO becomes XJ North then look out. You'll have Southern guys adapting to Atlas ways with Atlas guys while XJ dispatchers adapt to a whole different ballgame. And if the XJ lot comes in and outnumbers the Atlas transplants and creeps up near the number of Southern, it's a manager's worst nightmare.
They're forming a team. I don't blame them one single iota if they're interested in not letting the rookies run the show. Not a damn bit. It's not in their interest.
