Minister details recruitment reforms to boost Armed Forces

In response to Andrew Rosindell MP’s (Conservative – Romford) query on improving recruitment for military personnel, Defence Minister Luke Pollard outlined a series of measures aimed at transforming the process to attract and retain top talent.

Pollard emphasised the Government’s focus on “improving Armed Forces recruitment, modernising and refining our policies and processes to attract the best possible talent.” Among the recent policies highlighted was a “35% pay increase for new recruits; one of the largest pay increases in the last 20 years for existing personnel,” designed to make military careers more competitive.

He also pointed to the removal of “over 100 outdated medical policies” to streamline applications, alongside the creation of a “new military direct-entry cyber pathway” to meet modern operational demands. Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence has set ambitious targets to improve recruitment efficiency, including making “a conditional offer of employment to candidates within 10 days and a provisional training start date within 30 days.”

Pollard stressed that these initiatives will shape the development of the Armed Forces Recruitment Programme, “which is being implemented to further improve the speed with which highly motivated and capable people can join our Armed Forces.”

The Government’s reforms aim to address long-standing recruitment challenges while positioning the Armed Forces as an attractive career choice in an increasingly competitive employment landscape.