Underwear is important

Semper ubi sub ubi, right?

Programming note: I had something else planned for today … more in line with the “tell me your first memory” edition from last week. But, life interfered and I am not done with it yet. I just wanted to let readers know not to forget about that, because more of that type of thing will be coming — hopefully next Tuesday or Wednesday. Until then, the show goes on …

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Underwear is important

One of my favorite statistics is the idea that it’s sometimes harder to become a Delta Air Lines flight attendant than it is to get into Harvard University as a freshman.

This comes up now and again, and I take my hat off to whatever marketer or recruiter at Delta put it together years ago. But now, a Delta Air Lines memo to prospective employees shines a bright light on some of the circumstances behind the data.

Writing on Paddle Your Own Kanoo, an airline site with a fantastic name devoted almost exclusively to the world of flight attendants, Mateusz Maszczynski reported on a memo that Delta apparently sent to applicants, identifying the kinds of things that they want to see (and don’t want to see) in interviews.

The memo is entitled “Appearance Requirements Acknowledgment,” and it spells out very simple and specific things during the interview process that could give applicants an advantage, or else serve as red flags.

At the top of the list? Wearing “proper undergarments” that should not be visible to anyone else.

Other suggestions and requirements:

• Avoiding all profanity and gum-chewing at any time during the interview assessment day.

• Having fingernails that are “clean, neat, and trimmed.” Nail polish, if used, has to be all one color with no neon shades, adornments, or glitter.

• Wearing interview outfits that look “professional and fit properly,” including not wearing skirts that are too short. Hair has to be “natural-looking hue.”

• No more than one single-side nose piercing or two piercings per ear, and no hoop earrings or ear stretchers. 

• Visible tattoos are also banned, although they are allowed if they can be covered with makeup or are not visible while wearing a uniform.

I find all of this very useful for two reasons. 

The first reason has to do with recruitment management.

Delta received 60,000 applications for flight attendant jobs during the first week after it opened season earlier this month. We don’t know how many of those applicants actually make it far enough, but it’s a big number.

Giving everyone a list of specific dos and do-nots, especially a list that is related closely to how they’re expected to present themselves if hired, is probably one of the most efficient ways I’ve seen to move quickly and fairly through the people who made the first cut. 

Bottom line, if a candidate can’t be bothered to follow directions like this for the interview, what are the odds that their fit will improve once they land the job? 

The second reason I find this useful—and maybe even inspiring—relates to what we might call negative self-selection.

There are some people who might make great flight attendants and who might really enjoy the job, but who might also be discouraged from even applying because of the “harder than Harvard” reputation.

But if you realize that your competition has to be told explicitly to do things like avoid profanity and wear appropriate underwear, maybe the odds begin to seem a little less daunting.

Maybe you don’t particularly want to be a flight attendant yourself, but we can all fall victim to this idea sometimes. It’s a good reminder that sometimes the most important reason why people fail to win is that they never enter the game.

Besides, “proper undergarments” are just a good idea in general. Now I’ll bet you’ll be wondering all day who around you might not actually be wearing any.

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7 other things …

• The CBS News vice presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance drew 43.15 million viewers Tuesday. Comparisons: The debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris in 2020 drew 59 million viewers. The 2008 debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin has the record, drawing an estimated 69.9 million. (Deadline)

• Bank of America customers reported having trouble accessing their bank accounts on Wednesday, but the bank said the apparent glitch has been largely fixed. Many customers complained they could not see their account balances. Some who could access their accounts were startled to see zero balances. (CNN)

• Special counsel Jack Smith outlined new allegations of former President Donald Trump and his allies' sweeping and "increasingly desperate" efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, in a blockbuster court filing Wednesday. Trump intentionally lied to the public while privately describing some of the claims of election fraud as "crazy," prosecutors claimed in the 165-page filing. (ABC News)

• The social media platform formerly known as Twitter is worth almost 80% less than two years ago when Elon Musk bought it, according to estimates from investment giant Fidelity. While the platform no longer trades publicly after Musk shelled out $44 billion to take it private in October 2022, Fidelity's disclosure implies that it believes X is now worth just $9.4 billion. (CNN)

• President Biden on Wednesday approved the deployment of up to 1,000 active-duty Army personnel to response and recovery efforts in North Carolina following devastating flooding from Hurricane Helene. The federal troops are in addition to hundreds of National Guard members who have already been activated by Gov. Roy Cooper. (USA Today)

• Mark Chavez, one of the two doctors charged in connection with “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s death, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine as part of a plea agreement during a court appearance in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The judge set his sentencing for April 2, 2025. Chavez is facing up to ten years in prison. (CNN)

• U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates dipped last year and the proportion of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to federal data posted Tuesday. The CDC says 92.7% of kindergartners got their required shots. Before the COVID-19 pandemic the vaccination rate was 95%, which is the coverage level that makes it unlikely that a single infection will spark a disease cluster or outbreak. (US News)

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Thanks for reading. Photo by Andreea Popa on Unsplash. I wrote about some of this before at Inc.com. See you in the comments!