Flight departments often feel the pressure of hiring only after someone leaves. But by then, the real work may already be overdue.
In business aviation, attracting and retaining talent is no longer just about compensation, type ratings, or filling an open seat.
The strongest departments are thinking much earlier: Why is this role open? What does the team actually need? What kind of culture are people walking into? Are current employees becoming advocates for the organization, or warning signs?
Sheryl Barden of Aviation Personnel International has spent her career inside these questions. Her chapter in The Business Aviation Book: Leading Operational Excellence looks at talent through the full lifecycle: recruiting, hiring, onboarding, retaining, and even supporting people through difficult transitions when departments downsize or close.
In this conversation, Sheryl explains why recruitment has become a 24/7 leadership responsibility, how culture shapes retention, and why the departments that become true employers of choice are the ones best positioned for the decade ahead.
Recruiting isn’t something that happens when you need to hire somebody. It’s 24/7, 365, whether you’re in an active hiring phase or not. -Sheryl Barden
What You’ll Discover in This Episode
- Why recruitment in business aviation has to happen before there is an open position, not after the team is already under pressure
- How to diagnose whether a job opening is a healthy growth, a natural transition, or a warning sign of deeper retention problems
- Why turnover is not just expensive — it disrupts culture, strains the remaining team, and can introduce new risk into the safety environment
- The difference between hiring for credentials and hiring for true organizational fit
- Why “hire slowly” does not mean dragging out the process, but doing the strategic work before candidates ever enter the pipeline
- How weak communication around problem employees can create its own damaging narrative inside a flight department
- Why aviation leaders need HR as a real partner, not just a compliance function they call when something goes wrong
Guest Bio
Sheryl Barden is a workforce strategist and the CEO of Aviation Personnel International (API), the longest-running HR consulting and recruiting firm in business aviation. A visionary leader and respected HR professional, Sheryl helps Part 91 aviation organizations create transformative teams and workplace cultures that elevate performance, retain top talent, and strengthen service excellence. A trusted thought leader and monthly AINsight columnist for Aviation International News, Sheryl is frequently invited to speak and write about compensation, mentorship, retention, and workforce trends. She offers practical, creative solutions that help business aviation operators become an “employer of choice.”
About Your Host
Dr. Chris Broyhill is the industry’s most respected authority on business aviation compensation. An industry veteran with over 43 years of aviation experience, Dr. Broyhill has led several scientific research projects on personnel retention, compensation, and leadership for the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) since 2017.
Dr. Chris holds a Ph.D. in Aviation and has published two books that feature the results of his work. He’s also an outstanding graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School, an NBAA Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) Fellow, and a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP).
Resources
Get the Data, Win the Negotiation, Stay in the Business You Love. To get your compensation report, visit AirCompCalculator.com. We have a range of options for different scenarios and budgets, from validating a specific job offer, to packages for entire departments.