How the Spring 2015 Recruiting Season is Different than Previous Seasons

All right, here is how the Spring 2015 recruiting season is different than past seasons. Next season could be even crazier! Who really knows?

Applications:
Applications for Spring 2015 dropped August 20th. For the past few Spring recruiting seasons, they've been dropping the first week of September (around the 5th). This is 2 weeks earlier than in the past.

Submission:
More people were put into submission right off the bat. We don't necessarily know why, but additionally, many more were taken out of submission and put through to the WBI. In the end, combined with the earlier drop date of applications, far less people were left without a chance to take the WBI than in previous seasons.

Phone Interview:
During the phone interview, many people were not asked why they wanted to do the College Program. I was, so I cannot personally speak to this, but in previous seasons, everyone was asked this question.

During the phone interview, many applicants were asked which 2 roles they felt they were most qualified for. In previous seasons, everyone was asked which 3-5 roles they wanted to do the most.

During the phone interview, many people were asked about their language skills and whether they would be willing to take a language screening to determine if they could conversationally speak the language. If so, they would wear a pin with that language, so guests would know they can speak it. In past seasons, this question has not been brought up and it has been up to the CP's to seek out these language pins on their own.

During the phone interview, applicants were notified that the majority of hiring decisions would be made by mid-late October, and to be prepared to wait until then to get communications from Disney. In previous seasons, the general rule of thumb was if you hadn't heard anything within 3 weeks of your phone interview, you would call Recruiting and they would give you a status update.

After the Phone Interview:
The first acceptances would typically go out between 2-3 weeks after the first interviews. This season, I was included in the first "wave" of acceptances, which went out 11 days after the first phone interviews.

The first acceptances were typically people who had interviewed in the first couple of days. After that, it was relatively open. This time around, many people who interviewed in the first couple of days have not yet heard back. As I type this, it has been 5 weeks and 2 days since the first phone interviews.

After the phone interviews, the waves of acceptances that would go out were sizable and would happen maybe 2 times a week. This recruiting season, these waves are very small initially and occur almost every day. 2 people here, 20 people there, etc. from the Facebook group. More people than that are getting accepted obviously, but compared to normal waves from previous seasons where over 100 would find out, you get the picture.

These are just the differences I've seen. Have I missed any? Let me know!

'Til next time!