Assignment of criteria weights during group multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) processes is a challenging and often time-consuming process often riffed with subjectivity. This is particularly evident in hiring or personnel selection processes. This paper outlines a study conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of principal component analysis (PCA) as an objective weight assignment method to establish a rank order of United States Army pilots based upon their emotional intelligence, safety attitude, and safety citizenship scores. PCA results were compared to an algorithm tracking the rank order of pilots using every possible criteria weighting combination to test PCA's validity as a criteria weight assignment method. Regression analysis demonstrated strong correlation (p < 0.000) between the algorithm ranking results and PCA’s ranking results, reinforcing PCA's validity as a quantitative approach to criteria weight assignment in group MCDM application. Implications of this study are that PCA provides a less subjective, time-saving weight assignment method well suited to the pilot ranking and selection process.
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