Cabin Crew Recruitment Process From the Aesthetic Labour Perspective
Sandvik, Joanna (2024)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024112028930
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024112028930
Tiivistelmä
A cabin crew member is a skilled airline professional and responsible for maintaining the comfort, safety, and overall satisfaction of passengers. Being a cabin crew member is both rewarding and exciting. However, to be successful in this job, individuals are required to have various skills and qualifications.
The recruitment process within the airline industry has traditionally focused on technical skills, interpersonal skills, and physical appearance. However, the concept of aesthetic labour has been a growing interest in service industries and served as the theoretical foundation for this study. It highlights the significance of employees’ appearance, behaviour, and the overall presentation in industries that interact directly with consumers such as fashion, beauty, and hospitality. Aesthetic labour holds significant importance in the airline industry as cabin crew members are often seen as the face of the airline.
The objective of this thesis was to discover how the recruitment process for new cabin crew members differentiates between the four airlines included in this study: Finnair, SAS, Ryanair, and Emirates Airlines. This study also focused on how these four airlines prioritize aesthetic features alongside other qualifications and skills. Studying this topic is important for understanding how aesthetic criteria play a role in hiring biases and exclusionary practices, as well as their effects on the employee mental health.
The study was carried out as a qualitative study during the autumn of 2024. Both written and electronic literature were used as sources for the theoretical framework of this research, and the data for the survey research was collected through Webropol tool. The survey was sent out to cabin crew around the world by sharing it on social media platforms, resulting in 15 responses within two weeks.
The results of this study showed that there are differences in the recruitment and training practices within these four airlines. It was seen that Finnair and SAS focus more on professionalism and customer-friendliness rather than specific beauty standards. Emirates was clearly reported being more strict with the aesthetic requirements. Within all four airlines, training was described very intense but rewarding.
The recruitment process within the airline industry has traditionally focused on technical skills, interpersonal skills, and physical appearance. However, the concept of aesthetic labour has been a growing interest in service industries and served as the theoretical foundation for this study. It highlights the significance of employees’ appearance, behaviour, and the overall presentation in industries that interact directly with consumers such as fashion, beauty, and hospitality. Aesthetic labour holds significant importance in the airline industry as cabin crew members are often seen as the face of the airline.
The objective of this thesis was to discover how the recruitment process for new cabin crew members differentiates between the four airlines included in this study: Finnair, SAS, Ryanair, and Emirates Airlines. This study also focused on how these four airlines prioritize aesthetic features alongside other qualifications and skills. Studying this topic is important for understanding how aesthetic criteria play a role in hiring biases and exclusionary practices, as well as their effects on the employee mental health.
The study was carried out as a qualitative study during the autumn of 2024. Both written and electronic literature were used as sources for the theoretical framework of this research, and the data for the survey research was collected through Webropol tool. The survey was sent out to cabin crew around the world by sharing it on social media platforms, resulting in 15 responses within two weeks.
The results of this study showed that there are differences in the recruitment and training practices within these four airlines. It was seen that Finnair and SAS focus more on professionalism and customer-friendliness rather than specific beauty standards. Emirates was clearly reported being more strict with the aesthetic requirements. Within all four airlines, training was described very intense but rewarding.