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Asia's biggest fan Now the world's fourth largest airline, Northwest flies to more destinations in Asia than any other U.S. airline. Code-sharing arrangements with Continental, KLM, Alaska Airlines and South-Korea's Asiana Airlines enable Northwest to boast that it serves 400 destinations in 80 countries. Major hubs include Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, Memphis, Osaka, and Tokyo. Forget Northworst. How about Northbroke? A group of Midwest businessmen founded Northwest Airways in 1926 to provide air mail service between Minneapolis and Chicago. Two years later, Northwest became the first air carrier to operate an international route (Twin Cities-Winnipeg) and the first in the U.S. to coordinate air and rail service. In the early 1990s, Northwest appeared to be heading for bankruptcy. The airline's debts were mounting, and customer service was so bad that the company was dubbed "Northworst." Pilots not happy Hoping to reverse its fortunes, Northwest launched the first non-stop service from the U.S. to China and formed a broad code-sharing alliance with Continental. Under terms of the agreement, Northwest purchased a 13 percent stake in Continental allowing the two airlines to combine complementary route systems and marketing operations. The deal did not sit well with Northwest pilots who nearly shut down the airline in 1998 during a two week strike after management refused to grant a wage hike. The strike cost Northwest $630 million and did nothing to improve its already weak public standing. Can it get any worse? You bet it can Today, Northwest is still struggling to find its footing. The airline ranks near the bottom in on-time performance and luggage handing, and receives the highest frequency of customer complaints among the nation's top ten carriers, according to Department of Transportation data. The Asian economic recession has taken its toll on company profits at a time when Northwest will have to spend billions of dollars over the next few years to update its aging fleet of jets, the oldest in the nation. Northwest's less than stellar performance on Wall Street also stems from the airline's inability to sign up high priced business travelers, the most coveted group of customers in the industry. On the bright side, however, in May 2000, Northwest's Flight Attendents approved a new contract, ending a three-year labor dispute that saw flights cancelled, the flight attendents sued, and the company searching personal computers for evidence of illegal union activity. The deal includes wage increases, improvement in pension rates, full domestic partner health benefits and stronger work rules to protect flight attendants.
Northwest Airlines places a high value on MBA graduates, recruiting students from such top notch business schools as Yale School of Management, University of Chicago, Duke, MIT Sloan School, and Northwestern's Kellogg Graduate School of Management. MBAs usually land jobs in marketing, sales, and finance. Referrals are also "a top consideration." Interviews, says one employee, are "straight forward." Applicants are usually questioned by Human Resources, hiring managers, and, in some cases, a panel. "Generally, interviews are scripted so that each candidate goes through the same process," says an insider. "Depending on the position, the questions range from very vague (customer service agents, ground personnel) to very job specific for management positions." One drawback, employees say, is the length of the process. For example, to become a reservations sales agent, an applicant must attend an open house, take a written sales ability test, participate in an application screening, a one hour phone interview, a two hour face-to-face interview and phone simulation, a drug screen, and four weeks of scantily paid training ($25 per diem). Northwest's job hotline provides up-to-date information on specific positions-including skill and degree requirements-within the company. Each position on the hotline has a job posting number that must be quoted when requesting a formal application. Northwest does not consider resumes not submitted for a specific opening. Check out www.nwa.com for more information.
High flying benefits Despite the low pay and a host of labor problems, Northwest manages to keep a great deal of its workforce happy with generous travel benefits and perks, described by many as "one of the best...of all major airlines." "The flight bennies allows me to fly free anywhere from the U.S.," says one employee, "and departure taxes only on international flights. For example, London from Minneapolis is around $60 round trip. Flights on Airlink are around $10 each way, and there are deep discounts with Continental and KLA, as well as several other airlines. If you fly often enough, it's a significant increase in overall compensation, if you compare what full fare flights cost." Northwest also offers hotel and car rental discounts and travel benefits to spouses and children. Says another employee, "this combined with the medical and dental health benefits makes Northwest a very enviable company to work for." According to one company analyst, managers get full coverage for health and dental premiums with a $15 co-payment for prescription payments. Northwest also matches employees' contributions to their 401k programs. Where everybody knows your name (you've been around long enough) Employees describe Northwest's culture as "family oriented" and with good reason. "Northwest is one of the few airlines that will allow husband and wife and siblings to work together," says one insider. "The corporate culture is to encourage employees to move up the ladder if they desire to and the company will hire from within if possible." Adds another employee, "benefits are so good here, people tend to stay for many years." Which is bad news for many new applicants, especially in reservations. "Forget small town airports," reports one insider. "The employees there never quit and when they die, someone with high seniority bids the opening." Business casual or airport formal Hours and dress code vary by location. "If you are working in headquarters, the atmosphere is more the corporate American norm," says one employee. "Suits, ties, skirts, and heels have given way to business casual" with jeans allowed on Fridays. While airport employees are required to wear uniforms, those in reservations can dress preetty much as they please. "The position are all unionized and the work rules are very specific," reports one insider. Corporate staff pull the usual 9-5 while airport/reservation personnel work eight to eight and a half hours with varying shift times throughout the day.
Human Resources (612)726-3600
Passenger service;Cargo
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