How to Pass the Cabin Crew Assessment Day Group Exercise

The exercise is designed to identify specific skills required for the cabin crew position.
The job requires you to work in group, deal with various scenarios there are no two flights the
same, be pressured by time, weather or other stress factors, communicate clearly with people of
various backgrounds and positions, listen to instructions or complaints and make quick
decisions .
The assessors have to see that you are capable of doing all of this:
You will be facing a complex task in a group of 8-12 people. All the applicants will display their
own personality: some will be very loud and dominating, while others are shy and reserved. The
group dynamic will reveal each candidates individual personality and behavior, and this is how
the assessors can predict how each candidate is likely to behave in their future work
environment. Also, they can predict how you are likely to react in specific situations.
You will be assessed on your the following competencies:

Teamwork
Time-management
Listening
Initiative
Motivation and enthusiasm
Creativity
Decision-making
What makes a good team that will be efficient?
Everyone understands the task and helps each other.
There is a balance between what do we need to do vs. how do we achieve this.
Group members listen to each other and everyones idea is heard.
There is a supportive atmosphere where group members feel comfortable to say what
they think.
The group has a range of individuals that contribute in different ways and complement
each other: leaders, planners, creators, etc.
What makes a team ineffective?
People talk more than they listen, so not all group members can contribute.
Roles are not delegated to members of the team.
Arguments between group members.
Lack of trust and helpfulness.
One or two members dominate the entire group and make all the decisions.

Here are some tips that will make the group exercise a success for you:
Tip #1 Use the names of your colleagues
Everybody wears a name tag. Use it when you address your group members. This will show that
you are courteous and have good manners, but also that you pay attention to details.
Tip #2 Take initiative
Volunteer to read the task, write the notes or keep the time. However, if you take a task, then
make sure it is completed. If you are responsible to keep the time, then do not be afraid to alert

your team-members that you only have 5 minutes left, as it will work agains you if the team fails
due to the area youve taken responsibility for.
Tip # 3 Be active in the group
Speak up and be a prominent part in the exercise. Try to be a person that contributes, not only
reacts to what others are discussing or asking. In the same time, listen to others as well and do
not be the only one that has ideas.
Tip #4 Have a watch and use it
Time is the biggest constraint in a group exercise. Always watch for the time while you are
working.
Tip#5 Quality vs quantity
Do not talk just for the sake of talking. Try to move your group forward by your contributions. The
main point of the assessment is not to get the correct answer but how you get to that answer.
You are not being assessed on what you know, but on how you think. Dont try to put a mask and
pretend to be someone else. The day is long and you will get tired of pretending and your true
self will eventually come out.
Tip#7 Have fun
Keep the atmosphere light and breezy, and do not make a big deal if an idea your group
discussed for 5 minutes turns unproductive. Smile often and have a blast!
Here are some examples of group exercises:
Example 1. You are 12 people on a sinking ship. There is an escape boat, however only 8 people
fit in it. Your group has to discuss who will be saved. You have 15 minutes to make an unanimous
decision.
Example 2. Your ship makes an emergency landing on the moon. You have the following
equipment with you:
Flashlight
Parachute
Water
Compass
etc
Chose 5 priority items that you would take with you from the ship. When you are unanimous, write
them down on the whiteboard. You have 15 minutes to complete the task.
Example 3. You have the following group of cabin crew:
Yusuki 22 Japan smoker
Maria 24 US smoker
Anna 29 Kenya non-smoker
Iman 27 Morocco non-smoker
Sofia 25 Egypt smoker
Yen 22 China non-smoker
Your group is the accommodation department that decides which crew gets paired up in 2
bedroom apartments. You will present your decision and explain your criteria of selection in 15
minutes.
Example 4. You are working the London-Dubai sector, and you have the following complaints in
the aircraft:

1A Mr. Smith frequent traveller complains that he did not get a seat with leg room
10 C Mrs. Jones traveling with a child and an infant did not receive a toy for her child
12H Mr. Rogers TV doesnt work
14K Mr. Ford did not get his diabetic meal.
What is your order of priorities in solving these complaints and what solutions would you offer.
The group has 20 minutes to decide.
These are just a few examples of tasks that you will be required to fulfill during your cabin crew
assessment day.
Now that you know what to expect from your group exercise, ask yourself the following questions:
What is my role in groups?
Am I a player or an observer?
Am I a dominant personality?
Should I contribute more?
Should I take a more active role?
Should I encourage others to contribute?

9 Most Dangerous Assessment Day Mistakes

An assessment day is a very stressful thing to go through. Very few people I know go to
interviews relaxed, confident and knowing what to do and expect. An airline assessment day for
cabin crew is even more stressful because it is a full-day event sometimes it will spread over
two days, and after every stage of the interview the people who did not make it are being sent
home. I must say it is more nerve wrecking than American Idol Finale.
Knowing in advance what are the no-nos of job interviews could be a real help. You become
more aware of your own gestures, dialogue and even body posture. The list below focuses on the
mistakes that your interviewer sees as not acceptable, and will probably cost you the job even if
you have the perfect CV.
MISTAKE#1: Dressing inappropriately
Have you ever been to an interview and in the waiting room there is always that one person who
stands out of the group? I certainly have! She is wearing very high heels and very short skirts and
there is a lot of make-up on her face. I always wondered if this woman really didnt look in the
mirror before leaving home. Was she even aware that this is a job interview?
While some interviewers will definitely enjoy the view, the chances of this person to be taken
seriously is way lower than if she just wore a suit that says I know I am an attractive woman, but
that is not what will get me a job.
At the other extreme, do not dress like you would go to grab a sandwich at the deli downstairs.
No jeans, T-shirts, flip-flops, sport shoes, unkept hair or no-make up. You are not interviewing for
a hip creative web-design company or a painter PA position.
Your are interviewing for an airline, and they put a high value on perfect appearance and
professional look at all times.
Wear a business-like skirt-suit with an average, but comfortable high heel and some mascara and
lipstick.
MISTAKE#2: Talking negatively about your current or past employer
People who are negative tend to bring us down. If your new friend talks bad about her friends, will
you not start thinking that she talks the same about behind your back?
When you get hired you might be there for 10 years or just 1 month, however no company wants
to take the chance that you will go around talking bad about them.

Any gossip and negative comments about your previous employers is a deal-breaker during the
interview (or after).
Keep the conversation light, praise your employers and give a diplomatic answer when asked
why did you leave your previous job.
Things NOT to say:
I hated working at Company A because my supervisor was really strict and always breathing in
my neck about customers and deadlines and even during lunch break I had to work. And when I
wanted to go back to school they really told me that I have to work around their schedule and
attend classes after working hours. So I left.
Things to say:
I enjoyed my time at Company A. I joined them right after school and I was grateful for being
given the chance to apply my knowledge in the work environment. I decided to leave as I was
pursuing my graduate studies and I was looking for a job that will give me a chance to be flexible
with my working hours while attending school.
MISTAKE#3: Not listening to the interviewer
At the beginning of every task, the interviewer will give you a set of instructions. Listen very
carefully and take notes that you can consult later. There will be important information given to
you at the most unexpected times.
During the first session you will be given the house rules: which groups go first, cellphone policy,
what liquids you are allowed to bring in, what papers need to be filled in, etc.
Before the group exercise, very precise rules of the task that your group has to fulfill will be
communicated.
Not paying attention is disrespectful for the person talking and shows no real interest in the
company and the entire assessment process. Act like you would in school!
MISTAKE#4: Not interacting with the other candidates
You have to become very comfortable at the thought that during your assessment day, everything
you say and do is of specific importance. You will be observed during the entire day not only
during your exercises, but also during the breaks.
Make it a priority to interact with the other participants in a kind and respectful manner. You are
not looking for your new best friend, just polite conversation.
Some lines to break the ice:
Hi, my name is Kara, what is your name?
Where are you from?
Is this your first time doing an assessment day?
Have you worked as a flight attendant before?
I love you shoes/lipstick/purse/blouse Where did you get it?
You can never know if the stranger you just talked to might become your batch-mate and even
your flat-mate when you join the airline.
Greatest things in the world start with Hello!
MISTAKE#5: Over-confidence/under-confidence in a group exercise
The purpose of the group exercise is to show the assessors how you interact in a group. Being a
cabin crew means being part of a team, working together with other people, helping them even if
its not your side of the cabin, being there for each other.
During the assessment, the interviewers need to see the team spirit. How are you going to show
that?
Do not interrupt other people when they are talking.
Do not take charge of the task unless you asked by the assessors or the entire group to do so.
The success of the task is not your goal, but how you interact with others even when you do not
agree with what they say .
If you see somebody of the group not participating, you can include them by saying: So Anna,

what do you think of this idea?

Do not be silent. Try to contribute with pertinent opinions about the task ahead, even when other
members of your group might seem in charge of the situation.
Help your colleagues without being asked.
Volunteer to do certain portions of the task such as taking notes, keeping the time, etc.
No matter what is the task, settle your position somewhere in the middle: Do not take charge
unless you are named the group leader by the assessors, but in the same time remember not to
be silent and invisible.
Voice your opinion, give arguments why your point of view should be considered, but do not insist
on it if the other members of your group do not accept it or seem to be going in a different
direction.
MISTAKE#6: Cell-phone ringing
During the intro and company presentation you will be told to switch off your phones or activate
the silent mode. If you forget to do so, it will show your assessors that the interview is not as
important to you as your friends call. If you have a family emergency and it is extremely important
that you keep your phone on, approach the assessors, explain your situation and ask permission
to do so.
However, pretty much everything can wait until your next break.
MISTAKE#7: Checking the time
The assessment day is a full-day commitment. You should expect your day to start before 9AM
and finish not earlier that 6PM. Do not make other appointments for that day and do not be eager
to finish faster. The more time you have, the more the assessors can see more of you and more
of what you can offer to their airline.
Remember being at a boring class and checking the time? A glimpse at your watch, as subtle as
you think it might be, if its spotted by one of the interviewers will bring you a negative point.
MISTAKE#8: Asking about the salary and benefits too early
On every airlines career website is a section that explains the remuneration. It is a standard fixed
basic salary and an hourly rate for every flying hour or training hour that you are required to
undertake.
If the salary package is not public, it is relevant to ask about it at the end of the interview, when it
has been established that you are what the company is looking for, and the airline is what you are
looking for in an employer.
Show that you did your homework and during the initial O&A session ask other relevant questions
such career advancement, lifestyle in the country of the airline, companys expansion plans and
fleet, colleagues, atmosphere and other company facilities, but stay away from salary questions
at the beginning of an interview.
MISTAKE#9: Your enthusiasm is missing
Being truly passionate about having a career as a flight attendant is the area that will truly
separate the people who are there just because it sounds like a good job to have, and the ones
who are there because they dreamt all their life to travel, they are passionate about meeting new
people and experiment new cultures and have an honest desire to be of assistance to others. And
ultimately will separate the people who get hired and those who dont.
In your final 1-on-1 interview, the first question will be Why do you want to be a flight attendant?
Tell them your story! When was the first time you thought about it, what did you do to get closer to
your dream, a little inside information that will show them not only your desire and motivation, but
also your skills that will put you up there with the high performers and ambassadors of the
airline. Talk from the heart and give them your full commitment. If you truly want it, you can not
fail!

Now that you are more aware of what you should be saying and doing during the assessment
day, and more importantly, what you should avoid saying and doing, proceed with more
confidence and make the best out of your interview!