Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan recently shared a striking hiring story at the Semafor World Economy Summit, revealing that a top candidate for a senior position was turned down — not because of poor performance in interviews, but because of how they treated a receptionist. The candidate impressed every executive in the room, but behind the scenes, they were dismissive and unkind to front desk staff. That one moment cost them the job.
“They did not get the job because they treated one group of folks one way, and they treated that receptionist another way,” Jordan said.
Culture Over Credentials at Southwest
Jordan explained that Southwest prizes employees who are “low ego” and prioritize serving others. The airline believes these values show up not in boardrooms, but in everyday interactions. Southwest is notoriously selective in its hiring, historically accepting fewer than 2% of applicants, according to the Harvard Business Review. Jordan stressed that genuine culture fit is what separates good employees from great ones, ultimately benefiting passengers too.
Other CEOs Use Similar Covert Tests
Southwest is not alone in this approach. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby sends pilots to shadow candidates all day, giving them veto power over hiring decisions. Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn pays taxi drivers to report how candidates treated them during the ride to interviews. Former Charles Schwab CEO Walt Bettinger secretly asked restaurant staff to get orders wrong at candidate breakfasts, just to observe reactions under pressure.
The lesson across all these examples is clear — how you treat people when you think no one important is watching may matter more than anything on your résumé.