U.S. Army Recruiting Command is working with leading thinkers in the public and private sectors to pave the way for the future of recruiting.
During the Recruiting 2020 Forum at RAND Corporation in September, Defense and Army officials, researchers, and human resources professionals discussed the challenges facing Army recruiting in the future and potential solutions to those challenges.
“Significant adjustments are needed to meet the requirements of Force 2025 and beyond,” said Maj. Gen. Allen Batschelet, commanding general of USAREC. “We have always recruited under a demand-focused model, assuming adequate supply would be available.
Batschelet addressed societal issues affecting the eligibility of the current population. At this time, only three of every 10 young people are eligible for military service. The leading factor is obesity, causing approximately 20 percent of ineligibilities. Statistics indicate that number will increase to about 50 percent over the next five years, driving the eligible population down to one in 10.
Another issue recruiters often discuss is an individual’s willingness to serve, or propensity. Only one in four individuals who are eligible to serve are propensed, making it an uphill battle to convince most young people of the benefits of service.
He encourages a shift in thinking from recruiting to talent acquisition. In order to find the talented individuals the Army will need for its smaller, more agile force, Batschelet said, it is competing with leading corporations across the country whose benefits are often on par with the Army’s.
Balancing recruiting missions, retention goals, and terms of service.
“Can we have our cake and eat it, too? We have to,” said Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and former USAREC commander.
He said the Army must have the high-quality talent necessary to support the nation and that talent must be representative of America.
Can the Army afford both quality and representation? How does the Army define the Soldiers it wants? Should different occupational specialties have different standards? Should the Army expand cognitive evaluations to determine what traits would best serve specific jobs?
These and many others are the questions Army leaders and researchers face in determining the way ahead.
“Our best smart weapon is the Soldier,” Gen. David Perkins, commanding general, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, said to the forum.
To ensure the Army can continuously improve that “smart weapon,” researchers will address the questions and discussion topics from the Recruiting 2020 Forum in the coming months. The group will reassemble in May to present their refined thoughts and recommendations to give the Army options for the future.
In the mean time, USAREC personnel are streamlining the application process using mobile technology, employing virtual recruiting methods for areas without recruiting centers, rewriting recruiting doctrine, and revamping Recruiting and Retention School curriculum to ensure the recruiting force has the necessary skills and capabilities to build the Army America needs.