It was reported that Singapore Airlines (SIA) is reaching out to more nationalities as it ramps up its cadet pilot recruitment to meet future needs ("SIA casts net wide to hire more cadet pilots"; Jan 31).

It was also reported that SIA shed 12 per cent of its pilots in the five years from March 2011 as the economy faltered.

SIA should seriously consider rehiring this group of pilots.

Many other carriers, especially American carriers, have in place a clause in their contracts that the management must recall every employee who was furloughed before seeking other applicants to fill its vacant positions.

There is a growing call for action to better aid retrenched staff who struggled during the economic crisis, and to give them priority to be hired when the company is recruiting.

I hope that firms in Singapore will evaluate their hiring process by ensuring that employees who were let go during a retrenchment exercise are given the job that they once held.

This is a kind gesture to acknowledge their past contributions. It can also promote a good image of the company and present it as a role model.

Richard Thong Kok Mun