Recruitment and retention in a military context. The way forward : a case study.

Abstract

In order to be successful in today’s economy, companies are not only required to rethink their organisational structure and business model but as well the human resources practices in force. Nowadays, managers are often confronted with a shortage of qualified personnel and find themselves limited in the ‘race for talent’ on the current labour market. Therefore, an adequate and well-executed recruitment and retention model plays a vital role in the companies’ ability to achieve its objectives.

One of the companies struggling at fielding efficient recruitment and retention practices is the Belgian Armed Forces. Anno 2021, The Belgian Armed Forces finds itself in difficult water to navigate. The military profession has evolved into a highly technical profession that requires highly trained personnel. Not only does a large part of the existing personnel retire by 2025 but also the organisation seems to be struggling on today’s labour market to attract the necessary recruits. In addition, advanced equipment will be purchased in the coming years, which will require additional resources and manpower.

In this context, the following research poses itself: “Is it possible to improve recruitment and retention practices in the military context, given the contextual environment the Belgian Armed Forces is facing in 2021?”

In order to answer this research question, this Masters dissertation proposes a qualitative interview-based research design aimed at understanding the ramifications of the current recruitment and retention practices on the operability of Belgian Armed Forces. In addition, we aim to identify possible bottom-up ideas for improving recruitment and retention in the near future. Eventually, 12 young Air Force officers from a wide variety of trades participated in the research study.

In a first part, a theoretical review will be presented to the reader involving details of the military profession and environment. As well, the current recruitment and retention models be highlighted. Also, preliminary data on the case of the Belgian Armed Forces will be presented in this section. The first part will be concluded with a review of current the recruitment and retention challenges, anno 2021.

A second part will cover the qualitative research study and its results. The reader will be presented with an executive summary of the key takeaways. The interview transcripts can be consulted in the annex section of this dissertation. In addition, a chapter will be dedicated to the way ahead, where a detailed overview will be presented of the proposed recruitment and retention ideas to improve practices in the future.