That video clearly illustrates selective attention — and it’s the same thing at play in the cabin crew interview.
During the interview, applicants focus on tasks (counting passes).
Meanwhile…
Recruiters are looking for gorillas (instinctive behaviours).
The task is a decoy; your behaviours are the real assessment…and the cabin crew interview reveals gorilla after gorilla after gorilla.
Whilst you busy yourself with paper towers or ditching scenarios, recruiters are watching how your gorilla behaves; how you engage, who you interrupt, who you include, how you share time, steady nerves, recover from mistakes, and take correction.
This is why so many people leave the interview process, scratching their heads, convinced they passed the activity — “I did the task perfectly” — whilst muttering the tragic refrain: “What are they looking for?!”
Recruiters are trained to see gorillas. What feels invisible to you is floodlit to them.
The fix isn’t sharper eyesight — it’s sharper awareness.
but, not so fast…there’s a catch:
Awareness can lead to micromanaging your gorilla: over-policing your behaviour, second-guessing every move, trying to choreograph yourself so tightly that you stop counting passes. In other words, you’ve just swapped one form of tunnel vision for another. And that makes you just as ineffective. It’s exhausting for you and obvious to recruiters.
The key is to train your gorilla in cabin crew habits long before the event.
Only then can you relax, count the passes, and enjoy the game.
That’s why Crew Crosscheck takes a behavioural approach, not a traditional one.
We help you fine-tune your crew habits.
That way, you walk into the interview not only ready for the task but also confident that your behaviour will reflect the professional, collaborative crew member they’re looking for.
Think of it as your anti-illusion kit and cross-checking partner.
By the end of this course, you’ll have awareness, but you won’t have to micromanage your behaviours.
Former Serial Reject Turned Emirates Cabin Crew Graduate – Author of The Cabin Crew Interview Made Easy.
These posts do not pass judgement on any individual. I highlight behaviours and myths within the process — most of which I’ve been guilty of myself. I advocate for all airlines. I am not endorsed by Emirates, and all opinions expressed are my own. These posts are intended to inform, support, and encourage aspiring cabin crew.
