Manpower reviews
VADM Ritchie’s priorities target recruitment and retention issues

HMAS Anzac sailors in action. The retention of such personnel, recruitment of their replacements and numbers for the Surface Combatant Force are matters currently under review by NHQ and the FEG.

Navy’s people are a crucial element in the delivery of Navy capability providing our strategic ‘edge’.

CN’s priorities recognise this with four of the seven priorities - Recruiting, Retention, Reconstitution and Realignment focussing on people matters.

Recent problems with the size and structure of the Navy workforce combined with poor recruiting performance in the late 90’s resulted in Navy being below target strength.

The flow-on effects are still being felt in some of the 61 specialised areas in the workforce. Navy has responded with a variety of strategic targets and initiatives that cascade from the ‘People’ quadrant of the Navy Strategy Map through Plan Green.

Along with CN’s objectives, they set the future directions for Navy people.

Recruiting has improved considerably and is now satisfactory in most areas. However, Navy realises competition to recruit the best young Australians is intense and that after about 2013 the size of the recruiting pool will begin to shrink.

Accordingly, Navy is now examining how best to broaden the range of ways that it engages with Australian youth, to increase their knowledge about Navy life and the range of opportunities, experiences and satisfaction it offers.

To cope with the influx of recruits and to re-balance the workforce as quickly as possible, much effort has gone into improving the efficiency and outcomes of initial and category training, and optimising training pipelines.

Future recruits will benefit from quality training focused on current and emerging needs and technologies; training that increasingly is earning civilian accreditation.

Growing the Navy by meeting recruiting targets is important, but retaining the services of its skilled and experienced members is also vital.

A concerted, sustained focus on retention by mitigating separation drivers and increasing satisfaction factors is a major feature of the future Navy approach to people.

Part of that focus will be to develop Employer of Choice (EoC) characteristics in Navy. In many areas, Navy is equal to, or ahead of, civilian organisations that are recognised as EoC.

However, other areas still need development; and Navy life brings some unique situations and circumstances that can’t be compared to civilian employment. Navy has recently re-positioned to become an advocate for its members on conditions of service matters, a major step in preparation for other EoC initiatives.

Current work to reshape the disposition of the workforce is concentrated around improving alignment of positions with priority work requirements.

Ongoing absorption of “technology impacts” and redesign of jobs will increase job satisfaction.

Project Northern Advance 2 and recent developments in the Hydrographic FEG are testing new crewing concepts that may impact Navy wide in future.

These new concepts could have parallel benefits in improved locational stability and innovative training delivery for all personnel. Meanwhile, under consideration are new platforms and systems to meet the strategic capability demands of the future.

Operating, fighting and supporting these new acquisitions are likely to drive changes to the size, shape and skilling of the Navy force structure.

Technologies may evolve, but they will always require the guiding intelligence and courage of the officers and sailors of the Royal Australian Navy.

.