12 August 2021

POSITION PAPER

Subject: Applicability of Army and Air Force recruiting efforts to the Navy

1. Purpose. To provide the Deputy CNO (N1) with a recommendation as to whether any of the
steps taken by the Air Force or Army to improve recruiting efforts should be forwarded to the
CNO for implementation within the Navy.

2. Key Points.

a. The demand for highly talented men and women to serve in the Navy continues to grow
while the propensity to serve is declining and the civilian sector is vying for the same
talent.

b. The initial recruiting process as well as long term retention efforts have failed to retain
high performing, talented personnel.

c. The warfare domain has expanded to include skills, such as artificial intelligence and
cyber warfare, that pay well in the private sector.

3. Discussion

a. The Air Force has identified process improvements that focus on two major areas: 1.
Efficiency and 2. People centered metrics.

i. To improve efficiency, they suggested minimizing the amount of time recruiters

were entering data and interacting with recruits that were unlikely to make it
through the initial screening process by providing electronic apps that prescreen
applicants and standing up a ‘refinement center’.

ii. A focus on “people centered metrics” by the Air Force would be accomplished by
using an app to help recruiters and recruits determine what jobs they would excel
at, using a dedicated recruiting squadron to fill hard-to-fill jobs, capitalize on
retirees to mentor new recruits to build resiliency, and reduce overly restrictive
policies such as prior to service drug use, tattoos, and medical restrictions.

b. The Army focused on similar areas but also identified a need to identify and retain high
performing personnel and outsource ‘gig-based’ projects to reservists.

i. To retain high performing personnel, they proposed using data analytics to

properly identify high performers and to drop those that did not perform at
standards, promote merit-based advancement vice bureaucracy, and to train
leaders to focus on team efficiency.
 ii. Outsourcing of infrequent or specialized projects would promote increased
retention in the reserve corps and provide more time for the active duty personnel
to focus on their primary warfare areas.
iii. The Army, like the Navy, requires significant training requirements that reduce
efficiency and are, at times, not achievable. The Army is looking at what training
is essential, and what training can be cut.

c. The Navy faces the same challenges as the Air Force and Army. Talent retention is low.
The ability to recruit females into billets such as submarines is extremely difficult. There
are processes in the recruiting arena that need to be streamlined to increase the amount of
time recruiters can focus on people, vice data.

4. Recommendation. The CNO should look into implementing the following measures to address
talent management and improve recruiting efforts in the Navy:

a. A data analytics process for retaining high performing personnel and dropping poor
performers. Dropping poor performers at the officer level is complicated and needs to be
addressed.

b. Develop a program to promote hard to fill billets by successful retirees in those warfare
areas and compensate them for their efforts.

c. Stand-up a recruiting squadron that focuses on hard to fill billets such as females in
submarines and cyber warfare officers/analysts.

Prepared by: Michael May, LT, USN;

OPNAV, N1, 573-8245