isors who oversaw a group of subordinates; instead, customer service managers would perform the duties that required attention, while flight managers and maintenance managers would take care of their respective areas. Burr believed that if you hired high quality people, gave them an overall picture of what it was they were expected to accomplish, and let them set out in their own way to accomplish those tasks, they would do so effectively, efficiently and profitably.
This type of inner-direction required that People Express spend a great deal many resources in recruiting exactly the right type of employee. Customer service managers, who were at the heart of People Express since they had the most interaction with customers, went through an extensive recruiting process. Burr preferred individuals who did not have airline experience as that gave him the opportunity to educate them in the "People Express Way." At the time, most airlines were unionized, so the lack of airline experience also meant tha
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