The Navy’s tough recruiting year means its recruiters are having to work more days, and the service is considering longer trips of duty as it struggles to get more Sailors in uniform.
A Navy spokesman confirmed that Rear Admiral Alexis Walker – the head of Recruitment Command – has ordered all recruiters to work a six-day workweek after emails from the Navy announcing the change surfaced on social media. In an email sent to the entire Navy Recruiting Command, Walker said the command could not wait a minute to make the change.
Lt. Cmdr. Rich Parker, a spokesman for Recruitment Command, told Military.com in an email that the change would go into effect on July 8 and “is expected to have a top-down impact on personnel.”
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The move comes as the Navy, like most other branches of the military, is struggling to meet its recruiting goals for the year. In April, the Navy’s second most senior officer, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, told Congress that the Naval Service expects to miss its recruiting targets by 6,000 Sailors. The goal for 2023 is around 37,000 sailors.
Last year the Navy met its annual active duty recruitment target with just 42 seafarers and recruited a total of 33,442. It missed all other active duty and reserve targets, including active duty officers, falling just over 200. To achieve this goal, the Navy drew on its pool of late-entry applicants. This leaves fewer reserves of recruits awaiting delivery, making it harder to meet this year’s goals.
Given the challenges facing Navy Recruitment Command, the service appears to be considering action beyond longer workweeks. Other screenshots posted on social media suggested the chief of naval staff would order Sailors scheduled for the recruiting service to report to their new posts six months early, and keep those already deployed recruiters in post for another year .
Lt. Rachel Maul, a spokeswoman for Navy Personnel Command, told Military.com that while there have been “no official policy changes regarding enlistment service orders, early transfers or renewals,” she said “the Navy is considering all available options.” .” to fully staff our recruitment stations as we continue to address the projected recruitment shortfalls for 2023.”
While Navy executives acknowledge that the longer hours “will be embraced with some hesitation,” Parker stressed in his email that “our duty is to bring the best and most qualified recruits into the Navy.”
Aside from the extra effort of recruiters, the Navy has also offered some of the biggest bonuses in recent memory to get recruits to work. Sailors willing to get out before the fall can earn $35,000 before receiving extra money to choose an in-demand job.
Overall, the Navy’s recruitment website says Sailors could earn $140,000.
Last year, Navy recruitment officials told Military.com that the massive sums of money were necessary “to compete with the strong civilian job market, as we recognize that we are competing for the best and brightest young Americans from all walks of life.” .”
In the civilian sector, however, the concept of a reduction to a four-day week has gained traction. A handful of countries in Europe have tested the idea in trial runs with positive results. While the idea has yet to catch on in the US, it is enjoying increasing popularity and discussion.
“I don’t mean it dramatically when I say that our inability to attract the right number and type of people… impairs our ability to fight and win,” Walker wrote in his email to recruiters.
The service recently raised the maximum sign-up age to 41, relaxed rules on entrance exams, and spent millions on high-profile advertising at events like the Super Bowl.
– Konstantin Toropin can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.
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