Improving the Department of the Army's Marketing for Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention of Civilians in Critical Occupations
ResearchPublished Aug 11, 2022
This report presents the results of analyses intended to build a strong Army Civilian brand—that is, to help the Army assess and strengthen its ability to attract high-quality applicants to its civilian workforce and to retain high-quality Army civilian employees.
This report presents the results of analyses intended to build a strong Army Civilian brand—that is, to help the Army assess and strengthen its ability to attract high-quality applicants to its civilian workforce and to retain high-quality Army civilian employees.
To help the Army develop an Army Civilian brand and a marketing strategy for it, the authors fielded surveys and conducted analyses to (1) increase the Army's understanding of the job preferences and job search activities of individuals in the external market (job-seekers) and in the internal market (Army civilian employees), (2) assess potential employees' awareness of Army civilian job opportunities and their perceptions of and concerns about Army civilian jobs, (3) compare compensation in Army jobs with that in similar private-sector positions, (4) identify the Army's potential hiring needs over the next decade, and (5) recommend marketing strategies.
Key Findings
- Potential Army civilian employees reported the following job characteristics as being important to them: attractive salary levels, good work-life balance, generous benefits, strong job security, a generous retirement plan, and opportunities to use their talents and abilities.
- Most prospective Army civilian employees were unaware that civilian jobs with the Army even exist, and many held misconceptions about Army civilian employment.
- Potential applicants most likely to consider a job as an Army civilian were those with a positive view of the Army.
- Army civilian employees with whom we spoke identified positive aspects of being an Army civilian employee: career and geographic mobility, a wide and diverse range of potential careers, job security and stability, good benefits, good work-life balance, and a chance to serve soldiers and the nation.
- Potential applicants indicated that they use the following information sources when job-seeking (listed in preferred order): referral, online website, potential employer, professional networking, Google, profession-specific, agency, job fair, professional organization, alumni network, and government.
- Army civilian salaries are often lower than in comparable private-sector, nonprofit, and state and local government positions, but total compensation is often higher in the Army.
- For the most part, the Army should be able to continue hiring at the same levels it did between fiscal years 2015 and 2018. Additional attention may be warranted with respect to specific occupations for which a significant increase in requirements can be anticipated. The Army can meet most of its needs by hiring at entry level.
Recommendations
- Raise awareness of Army civilian job opportunities.
- Align the Army Civilian brand with the Army brand.
- Prepare recruiting and hiring officials to allay potential applicants' misperceptions about Army civilian employment, such as about involuntary deployment and exposure to combat.
- Strengthen the Army Civilian brand's appeal by emphasizing the following themes: career and geographic mobility, a wide, diverse range of potential careers, job security and stability, good benefits, good work-life balance, and a chance to serve soldiers and the nation.
Topics
Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Year: 2022
- Print Format: Paperback
- Paperback Pages: 280
- Paperback Price: $49.95
- Paperback ISBN/EAN: 978-1-9774-0971-3
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA1337-1
- Document Number: RR-A1337-1
Citation
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Orvis, Bruce R., M. Wade Markel, and John Engberg, Improving the Department of the Army's Marketing for Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention of Civilians in Critical Occupations, RAND Corporation, RR-A1337-1, 2022. As of September 11, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1337-1.html
Orvis, Bruce R., M. Wade Markel, and John Engberg, Improving the Department of the Army's Marketing for Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention of Civilians in Critical Occupations. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2022. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1337-1.html. Also available in print form.
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The research described in this report was sponsored by the United States Army and conducted by the Personnel, Training, and Health Program within RAND Arroyo Center.
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