The issue I see here is, we’re starting to think with logic and reason. It’s like assuming person one ranks facility a as their number one and getting assigned facility b while person two ranks facility b as their number one and getting assigned facility a. Should they be able to swap prior to start date? Well, they shouldn’t have to but they should be allowed to. Facility retention rates as well as morale would be much higher. The likelihood of both controllers getting certified and immediately requesting transfer would drop significantly. But hey, you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.
I propose a pre-employment portal. Each candidate is categorized similarly to how experience is broken down and determines facility list.
Cat A: low level tower only (tower only experience less than the average experience points in the bid)
Cat B: 4-7 tower/up down (Up/down experience less than or equal to the average in the respective bid)
Cat C: 4-9 no restriction (up/down experience greater than the average in the respective bid)
Once placements are sent out, you can log into the portal and you have 7 days to put up exchange requests amongst all controllers within your category and submit a finalized exchange request. I see it leading to fewer people rejecting their final placement offer, longer voluntary stays at first facility, and a general uptick in morale amongst new controllers.