Armed Forces recruitment - leading the way in Diversity & Assessment?

Tue, Feb 27th, 2007

Brigadier Richard Folkes, AOSB and Micky Norford, Royal Navy 27th February 2007

Attracting and retaining quality candidates continues to be a challenge, argued Brigadier Richard Folkes at the February meeting of the Recruitment Society. The Regular Commissions Board, which was renamed the Army Officer Selection Board in 2006, was introduced in 1941 following a series of military setbacks in which Officer Training and Selection was identified as a key contributor to poor performance. Officers had been selected on the basis of contacts and personal recommendations as opposed to the German system which since 1926 had used merit based selection supported by psychologists' assessments. The site at Westbury was bought by the war office during the Second World War and since 1948 has been the home of Officer Selection ever since. This facility is now shared with the TA and there is a Single Officer Selection Process although the Selection Boards operate separately.

The AOSB's stated aim is to "select potential officers for training and education to command soldiers in peace and in operation".

Esssentially, the recruitment process is as follows:

Recruiters make contact > AOSB Briefing > Familiarisation visits > attend AOSB Main Board > RMAS commissioning course > first appointment as Officer

The briefing always precedes the selection process and is aimed at providing some tuition in military matters and to make an initial assessment. Candidates are given a full briefing about the Army which includes being shown a photograph of an officer who had recently attended the AOSB, but who has sadly been killed in action. This is part of a presentation that openly demonstrates both the upside and downsides of a military profession. Some 10% of candidates showing particular weaknesses either reject themselves or are rejected at this stage and are given help in identifying appropriate alternative careers.

The key techniques used in the assessment at the AOSB are:

multiple assessment - by many assessors independent assessment - no conferring between assessors multiple tests - results based on evidence observation of potential - is the candidate learning during the activities?

The board is looking for personal values and standards. Additionally it is looking for:

Intellectual capacity Practical skills Physical ability Good interaction with others Self confidence and strength of character Integrity Learning ability

The effectiveness of the board in making the right selections is demonstrated by a relatively low failure rate at the RMA Sandhurst of around 15% - this compares with other NATO officer training colleges where the rates are generally higher at around 30%.

The selection process

Day 1

This is mainly concerned with psychometric tests and assessment of academic ability. For the Psychometric Tests the idea is to "beat the clock" with abstract, verbal and numerical reasoning. Also during the day are physical tests, which provide management with essential feedback on physical condition.

Day 2

The day is mainly involved in testing interaction with others in groups.

It involves: * Group discussions, involving difficult subjects such as diversity and prostitution * Interviews. These explore motivation (led by a Colonel) and spare time activities (led by a Lt Col), and are structured according to the CV submitted * Leaderless tasks - solving problems using ropes and pulleys * Teamwork - a inter-group race. * Planning Tutorial and Assessment

Day 3

The purpose of the work on this day is to assess which individuals have natural leadership abilities and which come to the fore

* Unlocking ideas. Candidates are assessed for their ability to develop ideas and sell to the rest of the group. Oral skills are assessed, looking at when candidates take part and then do not to take part.

* Planning Exercises, involving mathematical exercises and practical solutions.

* Communal tasks. E.g. assault course

* Looking at how individuals deal with adversity. 90% of plans do not work out exactly, and individuals are assessed on how they adjust and replan.

The only difference between assessments for men and women is in the physical testing. In general women are more focused, adapt more easily in difficult situations and are better motivated.

The day is completed with a dinner for all participants

Day 4

This involves a "closing race", followed by a the final meeting of the Board, which assesses on the basis of the 11 Dimensions. These are then summarised into assessed skills areas

Intellectual Practical skills Physical ability Personality and character

Some individuals are marked as a "risk" pass, which means that they are not met the standard in one area but are strong in other areas.

The male pass rate is normally about 65% and the female rate is higher at typically 70%

Presentation by Lt-Cmdr Micky Norford, Royal Navy

Lt. Cdr Norford joined the Royal Navy in 1975, he changed trades to become a Physical Training Instructor in 1982 and moved into recruitment in Sep 2004. His mission was to that the Navy should reflect society as a whole and that there should be an internal outlook of excellence where teams worked together in mutual respect and built on the interaction of the different skills of individuals. Diversity in the Navy is not about: * creating unfair advantage. All communities should be included * positive discrimination * lowering standards It is about * adding value * adding effectiveness ??????????? recruiting the best person. This means that searches for candidates should be conducted in as wide an area as possible. In 1998, the Navy entered into a partnership with the CRE. It promised promotion of Diversity, and has worked hard towards becoming the employer of choice and actively tries to encourage greater effort towards recruiting people from an ethnic minorities background to achieve this. One of the many factors for adopting this approach is the fact that within 10 years it is forecasted that 50% of ethnic minorities will be under 25.

Diversity is about delivery in the Royal Navy. Delivery requires:

* Ethnic monitoring * Access to equal opportunities advisors * Conferences on Diversity * Open reporting systems * Confidential support lines, with promise of action where required * Code of Social Conduct * Appointment of a Diversity Policy Officer * Cultural Awareness Training for all recruiters In short, Diversity in Navy terms means forming partnership with different community groups. In some cases, the Navy even offer a one week Personal Development Course, with a view to reflecting what is expected of recruits within the first few weeks of joining. The Navy face a number of challenges recruiting from the Ethnic Minority communities. These include:

Lack of awareness of what the Royal Navy has to offer Lack of parental support Peer pressures Perceived lifestyle Low status Racism/Harrassment Diversity of people from which we are trying to recruit Influence of world events

Micky Norford