On a continuing basis, the U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) is faced with the challenge of ensuring that the flow of qualified volunteers is adequate to meet future active-duty accession requirements. Success in meeting this objective is highly dependent on several elements of the overall recruiting system. The key elements of this system are highlighted in Figure 1.1. Some of these elements are largely beyond the Recruiting Command’s control. For example, manpower or end-strength requirements determined outside of USAREC determine the monthly contract or enlistment mission (demand) as well as its composition. Also important are supply factors traditionally considered in...

In this chapter we examine recruiter-level productivity and link enlistment outcomes to a host of factors, including local market characteristics, individual recruiter attributes, and several variables of potential policy interest. Based on this analysis, we draw inferences for a variety of human resource policies, including selection of recruiters, assignment of individuals to stations, and setting performance targets or missions. We begin with a description of the dataset.

For this study, USAREC provided us with an administrative file¹ that contained information on the missions and number of contracts signed by individual recruiters during FY98 through FY00. We analyzed the data for...

In this chapter we examine station-level missions and the factors that lead to success or failure in meeting them. The analysis focuses on station production of regular Army contracts from January 2001 through June 2003, when the Army used station missions.

Missioning is a key element of recruiter management. Most importantly, enlistment goals are the performance standards used to define success or failure in the recruiting business. Thus, how production targets are established and used to judge performance raises important equity and morale issues. A key motivation for our analysis is that many recruiters, as well as many in the...

There is good reason to expect that missions, when effectively allocated, can induce increased recruiter effort and promote more efficient use of recruiting resources.¹ In this chapter we develop a new model of recruiter behavior and estimate the parameters of that model using the station-level data described and analyzed in Chapter Three.

A critical consideration in recruiter productivity is recruiter effort. To be highly productive, recruiters must work hard and work smart. High and sustained levels of effort will result only if recruiters are motivated to succeed, high levels of effort are required to succeed, and high levels of effort...

In this chapter we examine whether USAREC could have improved productivity by changing the allocation of missions. First, we use the estimates from the last chapter (Model II) to predict or simulate the effects of various policies. Next, we assess the degree to which station productivity is predictable and whether there are gains to be made from a broader performance window, perhaps over several months or for larger organizational units.

In Table 5.1, we provide summaries of nine policy options and their predicted effects. The last column of the table reports the predicted number of national high-quality enlistments during the...

This chapter examines the career histories of 88,000 enlisted personnel who entered the U.S. Army between 1987 and 1996. In a series of econometric analyses, the following three questions are addressed:

Which enlisted personnel become recruiters, and what are their characteristics?

How does becoming a recruiter affect the career trajectory of those selected?

To what extent are recruiters rewarded for their productivity?

The answers to these questions will provide insights into some key human resource management issues. Namely, is the Army selecting the right soldiers to be recruiters? Are recruiters likely to be motivated to succeed? Are personal incentives well...

In this chapter we discuss implications of our analyses for improving recruiter management. In particular, we consider implications of our findings for human resource policies in the areas of selecting soldiers for recruiting duty, assigning recruiters to stations, missioning to promote equity across recruiters, missioning to increase recruiting production, using promotions to motivate and reward recruiters, and screening out recruiters who are underproducing.

In general, our research demonstrates that various types of human resource management policies can be very helpful in meeting the Army’s recruiting requirements. For example, we have found that several types of policies can have important effects...