While Delta Air Lines has recently announced plans to hire a whopping 4,000-6,000 flight attendants in 2023 to support its growth, the airline is not providing any shortcuts to its hiring process. Candidates will still have to go through an extensive, time-consuming five-step process before landing a job offer.

Applicants must first fill out an online application, answering some basic questions such as if they are willing to relocate, and what kind of work schedule they would be okay with, etc.

If candidates pass this selection process, they are required to take a virtual talent assessment, which the airline newly implemented in 2022. The assessment evaluates the user's personality traits to find strengths and weaknesses. The company uses the assessment to see if a candidate’s strengths align with Delta’s core values.

After this phase, successful candidates will move on to a “virtual job tryout”, which is an on-demand multiple choice customer service assessment that allows applicants to respond to various scenarios.

If applicants make it though this process so far, they are then put through a virtual interview with a current Delta flight attendant, where they will be asked more in-depth questions such as why they want to be a flight attendant and why specifically they are interested in working for Delta. Candidates will also be asked behavior-based interview questions in which they will need to explain what they did when faced with a certain situation in the past.

The in-person event day is the final step, where Delta will fly successful candidates to their World Headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, and a recruiter will conduct one-on-one interviews. Applicants will also be required to “mix and mingle” with current Delta flight attendants, while being evaluated by hiring personnel. Successful candidates will receive job offers on the spot, and will then be enrolled in the airline’s 6-week training program.

Initial and recurrent training is provided at the Delta Atlanta Training Center, where Delta provides resources to help its flight attendants earn their wings and continue to hone the skills.

With the influx of flight attendants underway, the airline has recently made new upgrades to its training center to accommodate its growth.