2015 CAPRecruiting and Retention

Strategies SummaryReport

Brig Gen Larry F. Myrick, CAP/CV

BUILDING CAP’S TEAM ... FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW

Reasons for Leaving: SM

• Not enough time: 23%

• Poor leadership: 14%

• Time and talents not needed: 9%

• Other reasons listed:

• Too many regulations

• Too much paperwork

• Lack of activities/training opportunities

Reasons for Leaving: Cadet

• No longer interested in CAP: 19%

• Poor leadership: 17%

• Going to college: 12%

• Too time consuming: 8%

• Could no longer attend meetings: 7%

• Lack of activities: 6%

Preliminary Analysis

• Recruiting numbers are down across the board• Retention has remained stable albeit with fairly

consistent high attrition rate• Leadership at all levels appears to be challenged

in addressing the problem of recruiting & retention

• Leadership training is lacking at all levels• While some identify the local unit as the key to

success in this area, the consensus of the majority is that this is a problem that spans the entire chain of command

• CAP has quality programs for adult and cadet members

• CAP continues to be a “best kept secret”

Preliminary Analysis (Continued)

• Some unit commanders are not aware of their community demographics and how they impact recruiting & retention

• CAP as an organization has lacked recruiting & retention goals

• CAP has not provided commanders at all levels with the tools to be successful in recruiting & retention

Path Forward - Individual• Remember what motivated you to join CAP• Do you still enjoy your CAP experience?

• If not, why not?• If yes, what do you look forward to?

What motivates you to continue to participate?

• How do you challenge yourself?• Do you make time to participate in fun and

personally rewarding activities?• How do you prevent personal burnout?• How do you prevent others from burning

out?

Path Forward - Leadership• Better leadership development at all levels

• How to effectively lead volunteers• How to manage a volunteer organization• How to plan interesting and engaging

meetings and activities (positive, fun, well planned)

• How to match member talents with unit needs/requirements

• How to effectively mentor adult members

• How to reduce paperwork burdens on all members

• How to maintain enthusiasm

Path Forward - Leadership

• Modernize UCC• Make UCC available online and in

residence• Provide regular continuing education for

commanders at all levels• Webinars have proven useful• Publish “best practices”• Provide other incentives for

commanders to participate in continuing education programs

• Have measurable and realistic recruiting & retention goals for ALL command levels

Path Forward - Leadership• Develop and charter additional school

units• Units located near military installations

reach out to base/post/station youth programs as a source of potential cadets and to provide STEM enrichment education opportunities for military dependants

• Require a Recruiting & Retention Officer to be assigned at all levels

• Develop Recruiting & Retention Officer Schools/Colleges at the wing, region and national levels

• Recognize recruiting & retention officers at the wing, region and national levels with a “Recruiting Officer of the Year” award

Path Forward - Leadership• Develop and provide a Recruiting &

Retention Tool Kit for use by local recruiting and retention officers and make kit available to all online

• Develop partnerships with local USAF recruiters, requesting they refer interested youngsters and medically disqualified adults to CAP for possible membership

• Ensure better education of USAF Recruiting Command as to the benefits of recruiting CAP cadets; STEM knowledgeable candidates, Mitchell Award advanced grade (E-3), etc.

Path Forward - Leadership• Explore partnerships with AFJROTC,

JROTC, NJROTC, MCJROTC• Explore partnerships with state guard

cadet programs and ChalleNGe Programs• Develop good media relations and invite

the media to activities, award/promotion ceremonies and other human interest events

• Develop and distribute professional quality PSAs about CAP

• Develop a means to track ACE students and invite them to join as cadets when eligible

Path Forward - Leadership• Develop a membership emergency fund to

assist members financially with retaining membership during difficult financial times

• Resurrect a multi-year membership option• Conduct regular “climate surveys” for all

members at the 3 month, 6 month and annually thereafter, enabling the leadership to get in front of potential problems that may adversely impact retention

• Develop a CAP National Commander’s Reading List similar to the CSAF Reading List and provide forums for discussion of the topics presented in the readings

Path Forward - Leadership• Involve CAP in Home Schooling

Conferences, presenting CAP’s STEM curriculum for use by home school parents

• Identify leadership educational opportunities outside of CAP, enriching and “cross-pollinating” our leadership with other leadership views and concepts

• Lower age for cadet aircrew to 16 years of age with parental consent & explore potential FECA issues

• Transition to digital fingerprint processing• Make bilingual resources available

(Spanish)• Don’t increase the burdens on local units

Path Forward - Leadership• Improve relationship on a national level

between CAP and the other Air Force Total Force components (Active, Reserve, Air Guard)

• Develop and provide training for ALL members on how to conduct one-on-one recruiting: How to develop an effective elevator speech; “Truth in advertising” – In your enthusiasm, don’t oversell CAP; Managing the potential member’s expectations; Where to go for more information; Where to refer a potential member if they don’t reside near your unit; How to make a recruitment “handoff”

Path Forward - Recruiting

• Have well trained recruiters who are friendly and enthusiastic

• Identify, train and utilize mentors for new members; adult and cadet

• Recognize star recruiters at all levels• Don’t “oversell” CAP

• Be realistic about what CAP is and does• Don’t make promises that can’t be met

(“Well have to trained and qualified as a mission pilot in a month.” “We will have you flying every week.” “You will receive training towards earning your private pilot’s license.”)

Path Forward - Recruiting

• Be sure to present to the prospective member “the good, the bad and the ugly”

• Don’t “sugar coat” things to make them more palatable

• Expedite membership processing• Long delays reported for

appointment/promotion for special skills or mission related skills (Chaplain, CDI, Check Pilot, etc.)

• Conduct targeted recruiting drives (flying clubs, schools, home school circles, etc.)

Path Forward - Recruiting

• Be visible at every aerospace related event/activity in your community; have a recruiting table/booth at these events

• Conduct regular “open house” activities to inform the community of CAP

• Invite parents/guardians of cadets to consider becoming Cadet Sponsor Members

• Be visible in the community; conduct recruiting and informational activities in malls and other places where the community gathers

• Place recruiting materials a local FBOs

Path Forward - Retention

• Work to change the culture of CAP where the culture adversely impacts member retention• “I had to ‘pay my dues’ so you have to

do the same”• Eliminate any “entitlement” mentality

e.g.: “Its my turn to be the commander” although he/she might not be the best candidate

• Watch out for “possessiveness” by long time members e.g.: “That’s MY airplane. You get to fly it if and when I say.”

Path Forward - Retention• For Cadets

• Don’t make CAP like school• Don’t consume all the cadet’s time with

drill and ceremonies• Provide leadership development

opportunities early and often• Develop leadership enrichment

programs like Airman School, NCO School, Senior NCO School, Basic Officer School, Advanced Officer School, Cadet Commander School, etc.

• Provide regular flying opportunities: O-Rides, Familiarization Flights, Flight Training, etc.

Path Forward - Retention• Identify staff positions beyond the

squadron for senior cadets, enabling them to aspire to leadership outside their local unit

• Enable/facilitate where possible greater cadet participation in ES, SAR, DR, Homeland Security and other missions

• Make more scholarship opportunities available to cadets, similar to the Royal Canadian Air Cadets’ glider and power flight training programs

• Uniform purchase funding for cadets who grow out of their uniforms but can’t afford new uniforms

Path Forward - Retention• Transitioning Members

• Facilitate a seamless transition from cadet to SM

• Provide meaningful opportunities for newly transitioned SM

• Recognize the limited time commitment these new SMs may have due to school commitments

• Facilitate the ability to maintain membership in home unit while away at school

• Rethink the dues structure for cadets transitioning to SM; e.g. reduced cost?

Path Forward - Retention• For Adults

• Treat adults like adults• Honor and respect experience• Be sure to recognize achievement with

PD awards or performance awards• Recommend members for “of the year”

awards• Ensure/encourage all members have an

opportunity to participate “fun” activities

• Help members achieve their personal and professional goals in CAP

Path Forward - Retention• For All

• Develop fun activities outside the meeting night

• Create a “family” atmosphere in local units

• Provide regular reviews of military customs and courtesies and military protocol for all members to assist those members who have never served in the military fit in to the CAP paramilitary culture

• Seek potential funding from community groups to support activities

Path Forward - Retention• Friendly competitions in various areas

of CAP activities: SAR/DR, AE knowledge, STEM knowledge, athletic competitions, etc.

Civil Air Patrol

…Citizens Serving Communities!