Army hits recruitment target
THE Army has hit its recruitment target for the first time in six years after replacing so-called “Kitcheners” in careers centres with young soldiers.
Changing from the traditional model of “old and bold recruiting sergeants” in Army careers offices has helped increase the number of new entrants to the forces.
Senior officers have hailed as a success the work of dynamic junior soldiers with recent operational experience, called “role-model recruiters”, in attracting prospective recruits, believing them to be better able to relate to young people. The change in tactics has built on the increased interest in the Army from the controversial recent recruitment campaigns.
With seven weeks to go to the end of the recruiting year, 99 per cent of the annual figure required has been met.
From a low point of only 60 per cent last year, almost all the 9,404 soldiers needed for the Army this year have started basic training. Major General
Paul Nanson, responsible for recruiting and basic training in the army, said the key to success had been the “reset of the partnership” with Capita, the much-maligned services company running the recruitment process.
This year’s series of posters and social media adverts, titled “Army confidence lasts a lifetime”, has “strongly resonated with our main target audience”, he said.
The campaign has built upon the “Snowflake” series the year before, which featured images styled after the famous Lord Kitchener recruitment poster of the First World War.
Acknowledging that it will take years for the Army, which has around 73,400 soldiers, to get back to a full strength of 82,500, Gen Nanson said: “We’re in a war for talent.
“Once we can prove we can maintain the level of improvement this year... then we can have a really good shot at closing that gap.”
Cath Possamai, in charge of the Army Recruiting Group at Capita, accepted things had gone wrong in the first six years of the contract.
However, since then the “time of flight” from a potential recruit making an application to being given a date to start basic training has reduced markedly, she said.