Pilot Hiring Process at FedEx

The goal of our selection process at FedEx is to identify individuals who are likely to be successful in operating our aircraft safely, supporting the business goals of FedEx, and contributing positively to our corporate culture and values. There are four steps to our process. It all starts with evaluating your pilot profile and should you be selected for further consideration, inviting you to apply. This is followed by remote computer-based testing and a set of in person interviews at our offices in Memphis, Tennessee.

The components of the hiring process

Our goal is to give you as much information as we possibly can about the selection process. Outlined below are the steps that we use.

Step 1. Pilot Profile Evaluation

Your pilot profile is our first insight into your background. We are interested in understanding your training, education, career development, and flight experience.

Your profile goes through an initial assessment via computer program, and it is checked by our team prior to you receiving an invitation. Please ensure it is complete, accurate, and free of errors. Your attention to detail is important. The information you provide inside the profile will give us the core information necessary to get an idea of who you are as a professional pilot.

Caution: Your profile is considered to be in its final form at all times after it has been submitted. Do NOT submit unless your profile is ready for consideration as noted above. We understand that flight time changes over time, but we wouldn’t expect material changes in work history, training records, and/or FAA reportable events. Retroactive changes in these areas may eliminate you from further consideration.

Tip: Once you complete your pilot profile, print it out and review it; you may also want a second set of eyes, like a friend or family member, to review it as well prior to submitting it.

Please continue to update your profile as you build time, or your experience or employment status changes. Referring to the caution above, these changes should be annotated as they happen and not when you are being considered to move forward in our process.

Tip: Keeping your profile updated indicates you remain interested and enthusiastic about flying for FedEx. Be patient and remain prepared.

Step 2. Invitation to Apply

Once your pilot profile has made it through the initial screening and you have been selected to advance, you will be sent an invitation to apply.

Tip: The official invitation to apply will come by email. The invitation to apply will come from the following address: fedex@inmail.application.jobs. Sometimes spam filters prevent this from getting to your inbox. Be sure you are on the lookout for this email so you can begin the application process!

Your application will start with a saved version of the profile you have already completed. You will be instructed to move your profile, without any additions or subtractions, into the application system. At this point, you will officially become an applicant for the pilot position at FedEx.

The sooner you complete your application, the sooner we can invite you to test.

Note: The link inside the invitation to apply is only valid for 30 days.

Step 3. Computer Based Testing

Our computer-based testing is web-based. You are able to complete the testing from the comfort of your home – or any suitable working space. When you receive an invitation to test, it will be accompanied by detailed instructions on the technology and testing environment requirements. The minimum requirements consist of a modern computer with a mouse (a trackpad or using an iPad is insufficient), a strong Wi-Fi signal, and a quiet workspace that will allow you to concentrate on the assessments.

The test is proctored from start to finish by our team via Zoom. Our team will instruct you on the information you need to navigate the testing and will work to ensure your session goes smoothly.

Personality Assessment and Cognitive Test

The computer-based protocol consists of a personality assessment called the NEO PI-3, and a cognitive test called CNS Vital Signs.

The NEO PI-3 measures what is referred to as the Five Factor model of normal personality. In this case, normal personality refers to a set of scales which are representative of aspects of all personality types.

Tip: There is no right or wrong personality profile. We value people with a variety of experiences and approaches to life and work, and expect that this will be reflected in a variety of personality profiles in our crew force.

CNS Vital signs will evaluate your psychomotor skills, multi-tasking ability, and working memory.

Once you are an adult, your personality profile and cognitive skill set are relatively stable, barring any underlying conditions. You should not need to do anything to get ready for these tests outside answering all the questions as genuinely as possible. 

Tip: If interested, more detail can be found on the web about these tests by simply searching for them by name.

Step 4: Interview: Panel and Situation Based

Upon successful testing, you will be invited to interview at FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee. The interview day consists of two separate interviews, conducted by FedEx pilots, a logbook/document review, finger printing, pictures, drug testing, and catered lunch.

Panel Interview

The Panel Interview is the more traditional of the two interviews on this day. It follows the conventional format of first discussing your history and background based on your application. Your interview team will ask you questions about experiences you’ve had and how you handled them, and hypothetical situations you may expect to encounter in an operational environment. The point of this interview is to get to know more about you, your thought process, and your communication style.

Tip: As with any interview, our best advice is to spend some time thinking about significant experiences you’ve had or things you’ve learned as you’ve grown as a professional pilot. Review your application and think through how that document describes your development and growth as a pilot. 

Ask a friend or a family member to ask you basic questions that give you a chance to think about how you want to organize your thoughts to convey the best representation of who you are and how you behave.
Be prepared to use details and examples, where appropriate, since this is our shot at understanding who you are and how you function on the job.
Think about what makes you unique and what sets you apart in the workplace.
Think about what makes you enthusiastic about your current job and what excites you about a potential job with FedEx.
Most importantly, we want you to relax and feel comfortable sharing your ideas and experiences with us.

Situation Based Interview

The Situation Based Interview will put you in a real-life aviation scenario you might encounter. To be as realistic as possible, it is staged within an FTD. You will be briefed and given relevant information to build your situational awareness and understand your starting point in the scenario. You will have a first officer as well as an operations center to draw upon as resources. Our goal in this exercise is for you to make a decision. We will evaluate your decision-making process and how you make use of all available resources. The decision you make is not as important as how you make it. After the live portion of the exercise, you will be given an opportunity to debrief your own performance. This is a time where you should reflect on what you did well, and what you might improve upon.

If you are successful in both of these interviews, we will notify you by phone at the end of the week. Phone calls and Conditional Job Offers (CJO) for Basic Indoctrination class will be made 4-6 weeks before class starts.  Employment will be conditioned on successful passage of a drug test, a background check, and your FAA Pilot Records along with records obtained from previous employers matching what you have reported in your application.

If you have questions, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions tab for further guidance. We look forward to meeting you in the future.