"the person with the best ability, education, prior work history, and overall fit to the job description is hired. "

Well, this is something Enterprise would argue with HLE about, and I have a tendency to agree. How could someone fresh out of college with, no experience in the rental business, under any circumstances, be a better fit for a management position than someone who has been working in the business?

I am not trying to start an argument here, just trying to look at the Enterprise end of the hiring and promotion spectrum as opposed to HLE's end. I think they are coming at it from two totally different angles and am curious as to which will turn out to be the winner in the end.

The philosophy on Enterprise's side seems to include hiring people with the intention that one day they will be management. All management has done the dirt that it takes to really understand the business, and they think a firm understanding of that dirt will lead to management that understands the entire rental process and can pass this on to their employees.

HLE's perspective seems to be, get your management based on who looks best in the interview? A lot of corporations hire from outside because they are hiring for positions that are 'skilled'. We aren't talking accountants here, we are talking car rental agents. How can someone fresh out of college possibly be better at renting cars than someone who rents cars everyday? I just don't see how that could be a better way to do it.

The other ace Enterprise has on this particular topic is its ability to hire what might for HLE be management, but for Enterprise is an MT. Now, not a dead-end MT necessarily (like I have a feeling from reading this thread they hire regularly at HLE) but an MT nonetheless.

On a related topic, what are the qualifications required to get into HLE's MT program? Would you say that you do your hiring with the intention of finding future managers, or finding people to fill out car rental paperwork for you?

Sorry if my views are coming off a little slanted, just trying to see under what circumstance, other than retention, HLE's system is better. I am also not sure they would be better in retention with this system, but can see how that might be possible. Is the business itself going to be run better? That is the big question.