In July 1971 Janice K Barden, a professional aviation psychologist with a talent for assessing pilot candidates for employment, became the first woman in business aviation to found a recruitment company: Aviation Personnel International. Fast forward and the API team, now helmed by daughter Sheryl, has celebrated its 50th anniversary.

With the benefit of this experience Barden is convinced that there is currently a talent shortage. She has been an outspoken advocate regarding the need to refocus and rebuild the nature of business aviation's talent recruitment, development and retention and says: “We especially need to attract, train and retain pilots and maintenance professionals. Unfortunately, we don't have young people going into aircraft maintenance. And when someone earns their A&P licence, they're often lured to join competitive industries, including auto racing, alternative energy, UAM, rockets and mass transit.”

She also believes the industry isn't training enough pilots.

“In another 10 years, I don't think we'll have many 40 year old pilots in business aviation. Our traditional pipeline 'feeders', the military and regional airlines, are all bypassing business aviation for the airline pay and schedule. That's a major shift that affects supply and demand, as well as compensation.”

To combat the shortage, she adds: “Our focus should be on recruiting younger pilots from the airlines before they reach captain status. Before they get to the second half of their career, we need to recruit them one by one, and ask 'Are you dissatisfied? Are you willing to take the leap and come to business aviation for a different lifestyle and community environment?' And we must compensate them competitively with the airlines.”

Over the past half century, API's motto has become 'It's all about people'. The mission of the aviation recruiting firm is to match high-quality candidates with top-tier aviation employers, all while building a sense of community and helping high-calibre aviation professionals see their full potential. Echoing that mission, president and CEO Sheryl A Barden says: “The most important investment in business aviation is your people. And at API, we're here to help our clients hire and develop the best of the best.”

One business aviation leader recently said of API: “The company comprises a well-rounded team of professionals working very hard to match the needs of each customer's department with outstanding individuals in our industry. This business is all about fit. API gets that, and strives to find the right fit for every company and individual they represent.”

The API team has witnessed significant changes in business aviation in the past 10 years. Due to the industry's rapid growth, these changes require attention to ensure progress. Among them is the need for diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). The API team recognises that diversity and inclusion is a looming issue that demands greater focus. After all, the aviation industry as a whole hasn't kept up with other STEM industries in recruiting women and people of colour. It's clear that it continues to be heavily weighted by its employment of white males.

Vice president Jennifer Pickerel has emphasised the point on numerous occasions. She says: “We cannot achieve diversity without practising inclusion. And the more our departments learn how to be inclusive, the faster we can reach a point of true diversity in our industry ranks.”

There have been changes in role descriptions and expectations. The role of aviation director has evolved; they are now tasked with leading a strategic business unit instead of managing what many years ago was referred to as a 'royal barge'.

Barden notes: “Fifty years ago, flying privately was considered an executive 'perk', and a corporate flight department was an island unto itself, with its own chequebook. Today, aviation directors are responsible for reporting on the aircraft usage, and that includes documenting its usage in annual reports and on personal use taxes.”

Maintenance is also becoming more of an IT/engineering domain, instead of that of a hands-on labourer. Pickerel says: “I think this shift in perception matters to parents who are helping their high schoolers choose a lucrative career. Today's maintenance professional is a mix of fixing and maintaining, plus the important component of understanding avionics, technology and communications.”

The position of cabin safety attendant has also changed dramatically. Barden says: “Once primarily known for food service, a cabin safety professional now must be a tech guru, responsible for all of the communications and cabin entertainment systems, on top of being responsible for the safety of the passengers.”

And the role of the scheduler has evolved as their responsibilities far outstrip those of past decades. Thanks in part to the pandemic, schedulers have also proven that they can successfully work a flexible schedule, often in remote locations.

There are generational distinctions, especially regarding the desire for work/life balance, Pickerel emphasises that Gen X, Millennial and Gen Z workforces have completely different needs and expectations than those of baby boomers and traditionalists. She notes: “Work/life balance and professional development have become much more a critical component of hiring and retention efforts.”