ABSTRACT
The selection procedures for occupations requlrmg a high degree of technical skill and subject specific expertise have, to date, placed minimal emphasis on interpersonal skills. Yet, contemporaneous research suggests that skills in the interpersonal domain may have a substantial impact on outcomes related to a number of high profile professions. Currently the media is focussing on the importance of doctors' interpersonal skills and have suggested that deficits in the area can have a substantial impact on a patient's diagnosis. Moreover, organisational psychologists report floundering productivity if interpersonal constructs such as individual personalities, teamwork capabilities and leadership skills are ignored when groups of people are brought together (Rosene, 1997). Consequently, there is growing interest in the role that interpersonal skills play in a pilot's performance and the success of cockpit crew management. The aims of this paper were primarily to assess the extent to which interpersonal skills affected pilot selection for an international airline, and to gauge the role interpersonal skills might play in subsequent selection procedures.
