Reconstitution

[daftandbarmy]

That is retention, not attraction. They are two sides of the coin, but are different things.

Is it really?

One of the most powerful recruiting tools in the toolbox, for any organization, is word of mouth testimonials from people who are already employed by the business.

It's a huge force multiplier, regularly leveraged by smart businesses.

If the employees are pissed off, they'll make the wrong kind of recommendations to their networks which, in the age of social media, can be terrifyingly awful for businesses who regularly treat their people badly.

WoM can also help achieve workplace diversity goals, where the CAF regularly underperforms...

However, if you bring new people in to a 'work experience' term of service to attract them to the organization, crappy leadership might only serve to turn them off from making a longer term commitment, and lead them to warn off the people in their networks too.

Word-of-mouth recruitment can help workforce diversity​

Study suggests potential tool for employers to reduce job segregation

Word-of-mouth recruitment is the most common way to fill jobs, and management scholars have long thought that this practice contributes to job segregation by gender: women tend to reach out to other women in their networks, and men do likewise.

In fact, however, this form of recruitment can – and often does – contribute to gender desegregation, according to a study in the journal Organization Science by researchers at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

What’s more, employers can influence the process to ensure that it contributes to workforce diversity, rather than detracting from it, conclude professors Brian Rubineau of Desautels and Roberto Fernandez of MIT Sloan.

Differences in referral rates​

It’s not that people don’t tend to network with others like themselves. Previous research has shown this to be the case. But this, alone, doesn’t segregate. Men may refer mostly men and few women; but the few women who do get referred also tend to refer mostly women. What matters – and what has largely been overlooked – are differences in referral rates. Some groups may recruit more heavily than others. Those that do are likely to dominate over time.

Previous studies have shown, for example, that immigrant groups sometimes go from being small minorities in a workplace to big majorities because their members recruit more actively within their community networks. “If you have a group that is referring at a higher rate than other groups, then that group is – over time – going to become the majority, no matter how small it was to start with,” Rubineau says.

Potential tool to achieve diversity goals​

This gives organizations a potential tool for helping to achieve diversity goals, he adds. Most big employers track how people come into their organizations, so they have data on how many arrive as word-of-mouth applicants. “By also tracking the referral behaviour of their employees, organizations can get a better handle on whether their word-of-mouth recruitment is pushing the organization towards greater integration or greater segregation.”

Some companies, for instance, encourage employees to recruit through social media channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or email – and have systems to track the referring behaviour, Rubineau notes. Gathering data from both referrers and job applicants makes it possible to monitor whether the process is helping the organization achieve its diversity goals.

Another possible tactic: Just as job ads often encourage women and visible minorities to apply, companies can also encourage their employees to reach out to women and visible minorities within their contact networks.

In a future study, Rubineau plans to look at whether referral bonus policies can be used in this way to help organizations achieve their diversity goals.

Word-of-mouth recruitment can help workforce diversity

By Chris Chipello Newsroom Word-of-mouth recruitment is the most common way to fill jobs, and management scholars have long thought that this practice contributes to job segregation by gender: women tend to reach out to other women in their networks, and men do likewise. In fact, however, this...

www.mcgill.ca

 

[SeaKingTacco]

@SeaKingTacco NETP qualified is only part of it, also takes a while to figure your way around the ship to the point where you don't panic during an emergency station and run right into the danger area (say this from experience). That's easily a month or more.

I think this is a good idea, provided they provide adequate supervision and mentoring, and limit how many trainees are attached to each ship. Given how short handed the ships are sailing around at, I'm not optimistic we won't try and slap a huge PAT platoon onto a single ship (which probably is below our material standard anyway) and hope there is no real emergency.

Maybe they'll give them some time on the Orcas like they do with the SLts as well?

If done properly, I think this is a great idea, but I have very little faith in the RCN not just ignoring the risks and trying to do something stupid.

Yep. Got it. I might have a bit of sea time under my belt, too!

 

[Navy_Pete]

Yep. Got it. I might have a bit of sea time under my belt, too!

I know, should have clarified it was more for non-ship going types (crayons extra!). A lot of air det folks have as much/more sea time than a lot of actual navy people, because you are only on ships that are sailing.

But yeah, being an NETP qualified guy showing up to a new class going right into WUPs was fun. At least now they include deck/zone in the emergency pipes.

But walking into a space with chemlights on day 1 of workups and having a ST ask me 'how long have you been on the ship' and I had to check my watch at least got a laugh (then a headshake, and some helpful instructions on what to do). Good times.

 

[FJAG]

They are not going to be trade qualified in NEP.

The whole point of the programme is, in one year, to expose the people in the program to as much of the Navy as they can. Then they can decide to continue in a trade or release. Or maybe move someplace else in the CAF/DND.

As noted, they will be NETP qualified, so they will be safe at sea. I would imagine they would be able to fill generic watch and station bill positions like lookout or part ship hands, but not trade specific ones.

The RCN has to do something to stop the death spiral. This could be a tool in the toolbox to get folks excited about life at sea. Despite the doom and gloom, I think there is much to be excited about, in the coming years.

Colour me sceptical anytime someone says we'll pay a year's salary to generate some interest. My guess is that folks who would join this program are ones who are already interested and the Navy won't see a net increase.

The biggest experience-based draw that the CAF has is through cadets and reserve force programs which come at comparatively low cost. Nurture those.

Genuine recruiting increases come from long-term programs that nurture the interest generating base. Create better links between the cadet movement and the reserves and the CAF RegF. Forge a stronger Ranger program in the south. Those will pay long term dividends. But that would take longer than the current posting cycle and you'd never get those "innovating change" credits on this year's PER.

Oops. Colour me cynical, again.

One of the most powerful recruiting tools in the toolbox, for any organization, is word of mouth testimonials from people who are already employed by the business.

Which brings us back to referral bonuses and recognition.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Colour me sceptical anytime someone says we'll pay a year's salary to generate some interest. My guess is that folks who would join this program are ones who are already interested and the Navy won't see a net increase.

The biggest experience-based draw that the CAF has is through cadets and reserve force programs which come at comparatively low cost. Nurture those.

Genuine recruiting increases come from long-term programs that nurture the interest generating base. Create better links between the cadet movement and the reserves and the CAF RegF. Forge a stronger Ranger program in the south. Those will pay long term dividends. But that would take longer than the current posting cycle and you'd never get those "innovating change" credits on this year's PER.

Oops. Colour me cynical, again.



Which brings us back to referral bonuses and recognition.

So- this is one program, amongst many. None of the other approaches you mentioned are being ditched. This is in addition.

 

[GK .Dundas]

Go after the High School's. Sell It to some as something to do before they go to University .
Sell it a combination of an adventure and a means of putting some cash aside for their studies.
For those that aren't going on to secondary schools. It would be their first job and it should look really good on any resume.

 

[mariomike]

Maybe making a vital contribution to Canada is important to some.
Maybe it's not. That's for them to decide.

But, I would tell them it's a job with a future. Opportunities. Far from routine. And security.

 

[dimsum]

Colour me sceptical anytime someone says we'll pay a year's salary to generate some interest. My guess is that folks who would join this program are ones who are already interested and the Navy won't see a net increase.

The ADF also does this for all three services.

 

[GK .Dundas]

The ADF also does this for all three services.

Any idea of how it's working for them ?

 

[dimsum]

Any idea of how it's working for them ?

Good enough that it's still going on, but other than that, no.

Gap Year - ADF Careers

Discover your path on an ADF Gap Year. Get paid for meaningful work while gaining skills for life and making lifelong friends

www.defencejobs.gov.au

Interesting point:

You will not be eligible to deploy overseas during your Gap Year. You will, however, participate in domestic training exercises and operations once you are qualified in your job.

 

[FJAG]

Here's a bit of a similar but yet different idea.

Make more use of the RegF to train reservists in the summer months in the nature of the old Student Summer Employment Program but tailor it for both high school and university students in two month blocks. Change the first two month block so that in two months you'll not only complete the essentials of the BMQ but also see an introduction of the old soldier qualification and in the second two-month block complete a DP1 qualification.

Run the four month one May to Aug and the two month Jul to Aug.

At the end, offer them easy transfers into the ResF as trained DP1s and to the RegF to a courses that start in Sep to train them up to full DP1s. Strike while the iron is hot, while they need money, while they have time available, and while you can train most of them in austere facilities without stressing the infrastructure. Ensure the courses are exciting and not your run of the mill recruit course. Grab their interest early on and, once again, do it with easy upgrade/transfer paths to a full-on RegF or ResF employment. It can even slide into a gap-year oriented program.

In 1971, 3 RCHA went to Wainwright for our Bde concentration in May/Jun. In July we sent most of the gunners back to Shilo and kept about a hundred officers and NCOs behind and ran an SSEP for July and August for about 6-700 SSEP kids from all over BC and the Prairies. For the next ten years I kept running into graduates of that course everywhere I went. If even 20% per battalion stick, you add a hundred or more folks a year. Run 10 programs Canada wide and you add a thousand or more. The better the program and the easier the transition, the more you get.

What's vitally important is that you dedicate resources to it so that it's interesting, challenging and leads to a qualification that wants them to transition to a longer term commitment. Semi-trained apprentices that are shoved around from pillar to post and left to their own devices for much of their tour often get bored or frustrated and don't stick it out or want to stay on. You might get some but nowhere near the quantity that you need.

Unless things have changed a lot since I was in, the RegF's summer months were mostly wasted in APS and leave turbulence. There were always a fair number of folks spending their time sweeping the gun park because there was nothing else going on between mid-June and start September. With a little planning (like we did in '71) you can produce some good results that have lasting effects.

 

[Furniture]

Unless things have changed a lot since I was in, the RegF's summer months were mostly wasted in APS and leave turbulence. There were always a fair number of folks spending their time sweeping the gun park because there was nothing else going on between mid-June and start September. With a little planning (like we did in '71) you can produce some good results that have lasting effects.

The CAF has expanded the APS to run May through September, but the reality that people with families don't want to move in the middle of the school year, or with no time to settle into a new place before school kicks off, makes it hard to significantly change when much of the APS churn happens.

I also suspect there might be some pushback if it resulted in a lot of the RegF army not getting to take summer leave.

 

[Navy_Pete]

The CAF has expanded the APS to run May through September, but the reality that people with families don't want to move in the middle of the school year, or with no time to settle into a new place before school kicks off, makes it hard to significantly change when much of the APS churn happens.

I also suspect there might be some pushback if it resulted in a lot of the RegF army not getting to take summer leave.

Ah, summer leave, I've heard that's a thing.

"Ensure you have a work/life balance and take all your leave'
'make sure you cover off the other portfolios for the vacant positions until they are filled'
'ensure someone is there to cover your porfolio when you are off'
'what do you mean there is no POC while you are on leave?'
'...don't worry take your leave, we will call you if there is an emergency'

'hey, this isn't an emergency, but can you action this while you are leave?'

....'what do you mean you are burned out'?

The CAF is great for making being one deep and multi-hatted the status quo, then demanding more than you can give. I think the last time I didn't work on leave was 2020.

 

[WLSC]

Here's a bit of a similar but yet different idea.

Make more use of the RegF to train reservists in the summer months in the nature of the old Student Summer Employment Program but tailor it for both high school and university students in two month blocks. Change the first two month block so that in two months you'll not only complete the essentials of the BMQ but also see an introduction of the old soldier qualification and in the second two-month block complete a DP1 qualification.

Run the four month one May to Aug and the two month Jul to Aug.

At the end, offer them easy transfers into the ResF as trained DP1s and to the RegF to a courses that start in Sep to train them up to full DP1s. Strike while the iron is hot, while they need money, while they have time available, and while you can train most of them in austere facilities without stressing the infrastructure. Ensure the courses are exciting and not your run of the mill recruit course. Grab their interest early on and, once again, do it with easy upgrade/transfer paths to a full-on RegF or ResF employment. It can even slide into a gap-year oriented program.

In 1971, 3 RCHA went to Wainwright for our Bde concentration in May/Jun. In July we sent most of the gunners back to Shilo and kept about a hundred officers and NCOs behind and ran an SSEP for July and August for about 6-700 SSEP kids from all over BC and the Prairies. For the next ten years I kept running into graduates of that course everywhere I went. If even 20% per battalion stick, you add a hundred or more folks a year. Run 10 programs Canada wide and you add a thousand or more. The better the program and the easier the transition, the more you get.

What's vitally important is that you dedicate resources to it so that it's interesting, challenging and leads to a qualification that wants them to transition to a longer term commitment. Semi-trained apprentices that are shoved around from pillar to post and left to their own devices for much of their tour often get bored or frustrated and don't stick it out or want to stay on. You might get some but nowhere near the quantity that you need.

Unless things have changed a lot since I was in, the RegF's summer months were mostly wasted in APS and leave turbulence. There were always a fair number of folks spending their time sweeping the gun park because there was nothing else going on between mid-June and start September. With a little planning (like we did in '71) you can produce some good results that have lasting effects.

It seems that they are to busy during the summer to train the PRes. On the reverse side, there's (if I remember well) something 1.5 to 2 coy wort in numbers of ARes Mcpl-WO training RegF in the training system. That's only in 2 Div.

 

[Quirky]

Ensure you have a work/life balance and take all your leave'
'make sure you cover off the other portfolios for the vacant positions until they are filled'
'ensure someone is there to cover your porfolio when you are off'
'what do you mean there is no POC while you are on leave?'
'...don't worry take your leave, we will call you if there is an emergency'

lol what is this nonsense. Stop saying yes.

 

[dapaterson]

Fifteen years ago, 40%+ of MCpl-WO / Capt-Maj in the Army Reserve were on full-time service at any given time.

I suspect the numbers have not gotten better - in short, the Reg F shortfalls have been papered over by full-time Res personnel for years.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Ah, summer leave, I've heard that's a thing.

"Ensure you have a work/life balance and take all your leave'
'make sure you cover off the other portfolios for the vacant positions until they are filled'
'ensure someone is there to cover your porfolio when you are off'
'what do you mean there is no POC while you are on leave?'
'...don't worry take your leave, we will call you if there is an emergency'

'hey, this isn't an emergency, but can you action this while you are leave?'

....'what do you mean you are burned out'?

The CAF is great for making being one deep and multi-hatted the status quo, then demanding more than you can give. I think the last time I didn't work on leave was 2020.

I flat out refuse to work on leave anymore. It’s quite nice actually.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Fifteen years ago, 40%+ of MCpl-WO / Capt-Maj in the Army Reserve were on full-time service at any given time.

I suspect the numbers have not gotten better - in short, the Reg F shortfalls have been papered over by full-time Res personnel for years.

I was amazed at the people who, starting off on a Class A job, were only using it as a stepping stone to slide into a cushy Class B Sgt/WO/Capt/Maj perma-positions somewhere.

I had at least three CSMs go that route, and saw two other OC peers do the same.

Organizations like the Rangers, and CBG HQs, are stuffed full with them.

 

[dapaterson]

Until late 2008 I was tracking down to the L3 within the Army (and to the L1 level outside) the Army) where full-time reservists were employed, using analytics I was later told were impossible...


Data geek time: While Res F individuals are held on a wide array of positions that may or may not have any relationship with where they are employed, the employer is paying their salary (unlike the Reg F, where all pay is out of the same source). Therefore, since the Cost Centre information embedded in the pay data for a Res M member maps to an organizational entity, extracting that data point for each full time member shows where they are employed. That data transformation reports 95%+ of individuals, leaving a relatively small number of outliers to correct manually. Within the Army I could only go down to L3 (CBG) because 38 CBG managed their Class B funding at the Bde level (all other CBGs devolved pay to the unit level); for the sake of consistent comparison we were therefore restricted to drilling down two levels (not a bad thing).

 

[daftandbarmy]

Until late 2008 I was tracking down to the L3 within the Army (and to the L1 level outside) the Army) where full-time reservists were employed, using analytics I was later told were impossible...


Data geek time: While Res F individuals are held on a wide array of positions that may or may not have any relationship with where they are employed, the employer is paying their salary (unlike the Reg F, where all pay is out of the same source). Therefore, since the Cost Centre information embedded in the pay data for a Res M member maps to an organizational entity, extracting that data point for each full time member shows where they are employed. That data transformation reports 95%+ of individuals, leaving a relatively small number of outliers to correct manually. Within the Army I could only go down to L3 (CBG) because 38 CBG managed their Class B funding at the Bde level (all other CBGs devolved pay to the unit level); for the sake of consistent comparison we were therefore restricted to drilling down two levels (not a bad thing).

Does that match any definitions of fraud that you've come across, I wonder.

I'm sure the average Comptroller General would go ape shit... or whatever qualifies as the equivalent for accounting geeks