The Ministry of Defence is set to streamline the Armed Forces recruitment process by launching a “first-of-its kind” combined service in 2027, according to a press release.
The new programme aims to provide “a single-entry point for prospective recruits,” reducing waiting times and modernising the application procedure for the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force.
Announcing the plan, Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard stated:
“For too long, we have seen keen and capable prospective recruits failed by an outdated system, full of delays and inefficiencies. Our innovative new Armed Forces Recruitment Service will help us attract top talent from across the UK – bolstering our national security as the foundation for our government’s Plan for Change.”
The reform includes ambitions to “make a conditional offer within 10 days and confirmation of a training start date within 30 days,” supported by a fully digital application and medical process.
The Ministry of Defence believes this unified approach will “ensure better value for taxpayer money,” drawing on a partnership with Serco and establishing a more efficient method of matching candidates to armed services.
In a separate initiative to broaden enlistment, the Minister also announced “a new direct entry initiative for cyber roles,” which will offer specialist training, reduced basic training, and a starting salary of £40,000.
Pollard emphasised that this scheme complements other efforts to modernise the Armed Forces, adding “we are making the changes necessary to get the brightest and best into Britain’s military.”
The single recruitment service forms part of wider reforms intended to strengthen the Armed Forces and respond to evolving threats. According to the press release, the government has also “delivered one of the largest pay increases for the Armed Forces in the last 20 years, scrapped over 100 outdated policies that block or slow recruitment, and are establishing an Armed Forces Commissioner.”
By 2027, the MOD aims for a more agile, transparent, and joined-up process for anyone looking to serve.
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It is all about being agile.
An online application giving a conditional offer shouldn’t take 10 seconds let alone 10 days. I’m not sure the are being agile enough.
It does when you have aptitude tests, interviews and medicals to get through.
Not really. Filling out the online form might, as you suggest, take hours, days or weeks. But for the computer at the end of the process to give a conditional decision wont’t take ten seconds. Clearly stuff like medical questions will be conditional on the answers matching your medical history and the whole thing might be conditional upon you being able to pass aptitude tests etc.
By inserting the words conditional in there they are simply highlighting that there will be a lot of work to be done but if you do pass the medical criteria, aptitude requirements etc. you will be offered a role.
Except there is an in person medical test, as a lot of candidates will never have had things like ECG’s before signing on. So it’s not quite that simple as “Look at medical records and give them a check or cross.”
Anyway, my experience wasn’t that it took long to go from Recruiting office to aptitude tests and medical, it was the length of time from the tests to the start of training that took forever.
This article only makes my fears worse about recruitment by profession (which is happening now), we already know that privatisation of recruitment completely removed any element of people caring about the person being delivered down stream to training teams. As previously you had a military person sat in an office somewhere looking at the person walking in from civilian
life and making a choice about if they could become something which the military in the UK needed. Now with have people filling quotas, because they have to reach targets, this article now suggests it’s the process which is flawed because people have to wait, well guess what, people being keen enough to wait isn’t a bad thing. My process took over two years and I waited for it. We now have situations which suggest some computer is going to pump out a conditional offer and people should be hitting training courses within 30 days? What if you’re training year plan only runs 3 courses a year which are say 32 weeks long. Yes they may hit basic training within a shorter a time scale but we already have people in massive hold overs of sometimes 12 months to meet professional training. Bumping people in bottom level solves nothing. This obsession that these kids can’t hang around because they have no skill set of patience, doesn’t mean we should pander to it. You also need to read between the lines about what a single point of entry means for the recruit, let’s say you’re massively gapped in one position type, let’s say we can’t get RAF chiefs in, now you have this lad going online to become say a Army medic, the system may say we don’t really need Army Medics but you can be a RAF chief in 15 days. That’s what I think this really is all about. We have massive gaps in certain places, and retention is really good in other areas, because shock horror, some jobs and more importantly, people treat workforce better, so we now have a computer system inbound, which every person wanting to join the UK forces will now click into, capita will also be getting fines for not hitting certain targets, whilst it will be swimming in recruits for certain jobs, it won’t take too much of a programme change to start offering very keen people things they don’t want and more importantly, terrible jobs which we can’t keep people in, rather than changing the real problems which is retention itself. We have actual reasons why certain positions are heavily gapped, which others remain full.
Pay soldiers more, and watch how little they’ll care about waiting times.
I don’t think that’s true, you’re talking about teenagers here and in some instances having to wait in limbo for 18 months. If you can recruit someone for a basic entry position in 30 days then you’re doing something wrong. Hopefully we get this sorted.
I’m going to be a downer here and point out that it’s not entirely contractors fault:
When I joined it was probably about 9 months from walking into a recruitment centre until starting Phase 1 (granted this was a decade ago), but my actual look at life day was only a few weeks after walking into a recruitment centre and my assesment I think was about a month and a half afterwards.
The rest of the the time was spent waiting for a slot on a training course.
It’s not pay or kit that is killing the armed forces it’s manpower and lack of experience.
It’s workforce…haven’t you had the Diversity and inclusion training? You will be told off for your dinosaur approach with language like that.
The MoD need to get rid of DEI and stop lowering standards to meet targets. Recruit the best….bin the rest.
Lol, “The Armed Forces are hanging out for personnel, but lets get rid of everyone who I don’t like.” Genius plan, can’t see anything going wrong with that shit.
Waiting for the moaners, but it’s a recognised problem and the government is trying to fix it. Good
It’s only a problem because the Govts created it!
Walk into recruiting office meet serving servicemen/women,express desire to join,have aptitude and medical tests at that office,
Pass said tests take the oath and get told a date to report to a training centre,have physical tests after two weeks pass or fail then told sorry you weren’t up to standard cherio and try again later if you want to,remaining recruits carry on with their training!
If you want my bank details for said advice Mr Pollard PM me👍
It was a problem created by the last government, the new one seems keen to fix the problem, atleast they are acknowledging it and setting out simple process. These numbers of 10 days for a provisional offer and 30 day for completion seem realistic and workable.
CRAPITA we’re awarded the contract in 2012 and there wasn’t 1 year in that time they hit there target. It does show poor government to have not pulled their deal years ago. Infact I’d go as far as to say they should be banned from bidding for any government contract.
Is it hell. This has been ongoing for 80 years now. More so since the 90’s.
Yes ,spot on ,I took the afternoon off from school went to Arundel Street Navy careers office in Portsmouth ,this was May 76 took the test ,then went to Hms Nelson for medical 3 weeks later on the train to Hms Raleigh . Career offices should no must be filled with service personnel doing Shore time . Not Civvies who haven’t the faintest what ” looking for the golden rivit” is or asking for a long weight .
The introduction of the Capita IT Platform to manage the process has directly contributed to the failure of Army recruiting. Part of SERCOs work must be a complete review of the candiate journey on the IT Platform. If this is just a branding exercise then things will not change and another company will run of with millions.
Fixing it with a bad plan, isn’t fixing it. Not looking at how it is currently done but how it was done with actual soldiers, sailors and aircrew, it took time for a reason, interviews, medicals, assement days and fitness tests all take time. You cannot do that process in 30 days.
The biggest issues seem to be around “exclusions” for things like childhood illness’s such as asthma and the length of time from initial enquiry to date of acceptance into the training system.
If they can sort out this issues then it should be a massive improvement
Best bet for that would be to ditch Capita.
They have but given the contract to Serco!!
Capita is gone, no idea if Serco will be better.
I served in the RAF in the 60’s. When I was young I had a heart murmur and kept collapsing and turning blue. My doctor advised me to take up running, which I did. I became quite good and I took up swimming too and taught myself to hold my breath for long periods. I entered the RAF and my physical prowess was superb A1 not a hitch, went on to run and fence for my station. If you’re born with a fault don’t progress that fault work it out of your system.
One who conquers himself is greater is greater than another who conquers a thousand times a thousand on the battlefield.
Dulce bellum inexpertis. ♾️❤️☮️
61 years ago I visited Army recruiting office signed on and was in, had a few written tests couple days later then a few days later sworn given Queens Shilling in post came rail warrant time and date all within 2 months, loved next 24 years (Royal Signals) ao why does it take to long??? Nowadays?????
Probably about the same time as my brother who also joined the RS. Also did 25 years and finished as the Foreman of Signals at the Scheme Park in Catterick. I guess ultimately your paths would have crossed?
My dad was also RS 35 – 62 so when I joined in 73 and elected for RA I became the black sheep of the family. My dad completely ignored me for a year. My mum gave him some grief for that.
I wonder if your dad crossed paths with my grandad, one Major Hickox (36-45) by the time he left.
My dad was posted to India 1935 and spent most of his war years there going through Burma and ending up in Singapore. I have a photo in my dads album ( not sure if he took it, but it does match the other photos) on a parade ground type area and a Japanese officer surrendering his sword to a what looks like a high ranking British officer. My dad always had a Japanese sword under his bed along with his Kukri, I was always fascinated by them as a kid and I’d sneak into my parents bedroom when they were out and marvel at them.
Because it’s not 1965 anymore.
Too small, too fat, too ugly, missing teeth, only one arm, and one eye, cant do press ups, cant carry a stupidly heavy rucksack…with stuff you have no need for! sory you have asthma
No good at running and marching…sorry no girls…”be the best”
And alot more, needs to GO
We need a modern Army, RN, RAF..
quicker recruitment, specialist roles
The new programme feels like a step in the right direction if done right
At least an effort to address a major problem. I hope Serco can meet these targets. If not? They should lose the contract asap. For too long young people have been messed about by Capita. A lad who lived near me wanted to be a REME fitter. His total wait until he took the shilling? Eighteen months. Anyone else would have said why bother. I wonder how many have since that appalling firm took recruitment over.
This is what happens when you civilanise the recruitment process in the hope of saving money.
The biggest problem is the IT system that the candidate journey takes place on and the amount of steps in the process. Like lots of IT Systems that are forced upon us, if they don’t speed the process up and make it easier then it is of no use. The Capita IT platform is one of those such beasts.
Surely the main reason that they are combining the navy, army and air force recruitment is that our armed forces ard now too small to warrant them being separate.
On the current Government, I remain impressed by their seriousness in tackling things systematically and carefully, but discouraged by the time it will take to see difference. That seems to me to be the pattern in Defence.
They were left with everything, everywhere having been taken to hell in a hand cart by the previous 4 or 5 Prime Ministers – from local authorities having been cut in core expenditure by 25-30% over 14 years, to little transport investment / maintenance, to £100bn of revenue having been lost to keep fuel duty down, to the Government having degenerated into a collection of headless chickens, to £50bn being spent on a branch line to Birmingham. I am in the E Midlands and killing HS2 gutted by region’s economic strategy.
We have not even seen the first budget implemented yet – that starts next April, but will include modest real terms boosts for both my examples above – Local Government and Defence.
Now we also have to manage our relationship with Mr Chump, and his pursuit of a Mussolini playbook in the USA, informed only by the voices in his head, and manipulations by President Musk and the other oligarchs.
I have aspirations, but it’s going to be expensive for all of us, and very tricky.
They’re more interested in paying for a questionable country to steal our territory and to look into reparations for slavery.
Literally about to let any f***** in….
Can’t remember how long joining too but I joined via Hanley CIO (Potteries/Stoke on Trent if you don’t know). I do recall being impressed at 1st enquiry actually speaking to serving regulars. ANyway, think it took about 6-8weeks including 1st interviews, a day of engineering aptitude tests, 2nd interview. Then on the train to Swinderby for 6 weeks then Halton for 3yrs to do split brain training – engines/airframes. A Trenchard Brat.
I wonder if the recruiting company that has raked in millions of tax payers money will be sactioned for their abject failure over the last decade.
In my opinion, the main reason for the lack of volunteers is the lack of motivation. If citizens do not want to defend their country, then this is a clear sign that the state is moving in the wrong direction.
John Healey said this on 23 Sep 2024:
“The measures to boost recruitment and help fix the foundations of our forces include:
Tackling long application waiting times with a new ambition to make a conditional offer within 10 days and confirmation of a training start date within 30 days.
Scrapping or updating over 100 outdated policies since entering government, including measures blocking some sufferers of hay fever, eczema and acne, and some injuries that have fully healed.
Creating a new direct ‘cyber track’ to help boost Defence’s cyber resilience, with different tailored selection and basic training requirements.”
This is now re-announced nearly 5 months later!
My dad was posted to India 1935 and spent most of his war years there going through Burma and ending up in Singapore. I have a photo in my dads album ( not sure if he took it, but it does match the other photos) on a parade ground type area and a Japanese officer surrendering his sword to a what looks like a high ranking British officer. My dad always had a Japanese sword under his bed along with his Kukri, I was always fascinated by them as a kid and I’d sneak into my parents bedroom when they were out and marvel at them.
Oops. Posted the above twice in error. Please ignore.
I joined in 1971. I joined as Sgt aircrew which meant a visit to Biggin Hill for aptitude tests. This happened 10 weeks after my visit to the CIO. I was advised by letter 2 weeks later of my success. 19 weeks after first visiting the CIO I arrived at Swinderby. As an aside I arrived at the CIO with no knowledge of the role that I eventually did. It was only because one of the staff had served on a station where my trade was most in demand. I am for ever grateful for that Sgt’s advice.
We are not at war, our troops must be well vetted. We just had to jail one for treason. Pick only the best, so that we remain the best.
Many years ago, coming up to 18 and fed up with uni, I walked into an Army recruiting office and asked to enlist in my County Regiment and declined other offers. I was given a written test, put through a medical, asked when I wanted to go and signed for the Queen’s shilling before the afternoon was done. Couple of weeks later I reported to my Regimental Traing Depot at the start of a 42 year career. Speed is of the essence to maintain enthusiasm and procedural momentum. Get the recruit in and enlisted and then offer a selection of dates. If there is shortfall of vacancies then an ad hoc team of WOs and SNCOs can easily be mustered to run an extra course. Results matter, not procedures.
Am just deluding myself, and im ready to be shot down in flames for this but….
Doesn’t it seem like they might be preparing for a recruitment drive to increase numbers? maybe just maybe things might be looking up.
The frightening thing here is that it required the entire recruitment process to go disastrously wrong in order for the organisation to gather enough energy to get the will to do anything. Recruitment is a business critical process. It’s process viability to should be constantly and actively monitored. Any bureaucratic process which interferes with its operation should be resisted and if it absolutely required should be implemented only in the most efficient way. There also seems to be a complete lack of internal continual improvement process. If I outsourced a service I would expect the outsourcer to improve as time went on. I would set higher SLAs in Year 2 than Year 1. You would not run a business like you run the MOD. I’m getting rather tired of the same rubbish excuses being made by politicians and civil servants to provide cover for the fact that they are incapable of doing their jobs due to chronic incompetence.