Revolutionizing Army Recruitment: Strategies to Appeal to Youthful Americans & Surpass Previous Performance

The Army announces plans to revamp its recruiting strategies after falling short of its recruitment targets for another fiscal year. While the branch performed marginally better than last year, it still fell about 10,000 contracts short of its “stretch goal” of 65,000, according to Army officials. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth emphasizes the need for transformational changes, stating that the same approach will not yield the desired results.

The proposed overhauls stem from a comprehensive study of Army recruiting over the past 25 years, with a focus on regaining a competitive edge in a modern labor market that has drastically evolved since the inception of the all-volunteer force in 1973.

To expand its prospective pool, the Army plans to actively recruit not only high school graduates but also young Americans on college campuses. This will be achieved through the utilization of digital job boards and participation in large career fairs held in major population centers, emulating strategies employed by private companies. Wormuth highlights that while today’s high school seniors account for over 50% of annual contracts, they represent only 15-20% of the larger pool of prospects from which the Army could recruit.

In order to enhance resources and training for recruiters, the Army intends to consolidate U.S. Army Recruiting Command and the Army’s marketing office into a command led by a three-star general, extending the tenure in the position from two to four years. According to Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Randy George and Wormuth, this overhaul will be a long-term endeavor, with the development of implementation plans expected to take several months.

The overhaul will build upon the efforts that contributed to the Army’s improved recruitment numbers this year, including a multi-million dollar “Be All You Can Be” ad campaign and the expansion of a preparatory course aimed at helping prospective recruits meet the physical and educational requirements for Army enlistment. Army leaders acknowledge that a smaller pool of young Americans who both desire to serve and qualify to serve has presented recruiting challenges. However, George emphasizes that the Army itself can enhance its use of technology and data to effectively communicate its message to potential recruits.

“I wouldn’t rate our software capabilities higher than a C in some areas,” says George. To address this issue, the Army plans to establish an experimentation team consisting of recruiters collaborating with experts in IT, data management, and labor market analysis.

Although the Army does not have a specific recruitment goal for the next fiscal year yet, Wormuth anticipates that it will likely be lower than the previous goal of 65,000, as the Army implements the changes to its recruiting program.