Recruitment

[DeV]

How to speed up the process greatly, emphasis greatly at talks etc for them to bring:

4 x passport photos
Long version of Birth Certificate (not a photocopy / baptismal certificate)
If they were born outside Ireland - their passport & other documents
RSI Number
Bring a parent / guardian, they can sign the paperwork then, saves them bring it home and losing / forgetting it
Check their height, before the medical
If you have dates for audiograms etc, give them to them, tell them if they can't make it they will lose their place
Get on to an recruits who are about to go non-effective (or haven't been turning up) - tell them their is a big group of recruits currently in training (so long as there is) - I've got 2 back through this

[Truck Driver]

We held 3 open evenings (advertised in local free paper and posters) - total 5 potential recruits.

Spent a week visiting schools - at least 3 potential recruits.

Couple of former members returning and word of mouth

We in our mob are on the recruitment trail now too. I will let ye know how we
get on...

[DeV]

* We held 3 open evenings (advertised in local free paper and posters).
* Spent a week visiting schools
* Couple of former members returning
* Word of mouth
* 50-100 posters around local towns
* 5 to 10 minute interview on local radio

Total of around 20 potental recruits. The problem now is organising audiograms (and the other tests that happen at the same time) and medicals.

What is proofing problematic now - getting these people to turn up for the said audiograms.

[Docman]

There's a lot of Reserve recruit official recruiting posters and pamphlets available.

Where?

There are none left in the south.

[trellheim]

There's a lot of Reserve recruit official recruiting posters and pamphlets available.

[hptmurphy]

the transfer and attachment option is regularly exercised but college life creates its own hassles and so many just give up. The level of commitment is pitiful..but then again life is short so get on with living it.

I would have foccussed on people who have finished college and are moving back to take up employment in the locality but again the career path governs.

removal from a unit on a local basis to one in a larger centre especially coming from a unit like A cavalry unit where guys may have joined with specific goals in mind...to another less equipped unit often pushes people out of the FCA altogether. our already miniscule recruit applicant intake is further diminished with medicals and hearing tests and endless waits for approvals and equipmnet and uniforms when recruits are finally accepted.

Is it all part of a greater picture to negate the reserve...what are less well equipped and satallite units doing to ensure their survival?

[Docman]

My primary soloution and I'm open to other suggestions is the lowering of the enlistmnet age get them in younger and you'll get that extra year
It may not be as problematic in other units but people are passing through our fingers be fore we can introduce them to the more interesting features such as driving and gunnery

You can solve it by ensuring people are transferred or attached to other units when they go to college. The leaving cert etc. cannot be got around and all you can do is keep in contact and inform them of different events and camps. It has never really been much of a problem for us. People have disappeared for a number of months for exams etc. but usually come back when exams are over.

Lowering the age limit is a non-runner..... Ireland has gotten enough of a grilling from the UN over the 17 age limit.

[hptmurphy]

we did the schools a couple of years ago and harvested the bodies ..graet response

Little problem in Clonmel in that the schools are now actively hostile as they now believe that we are taking students from study time and are very reluctant to let us in!

All well and grand having sixty bodies in october but by March thsi number has been depleted due to outside commitments...study and exams...etc ..to be further depleted in september by the amount of kids headind to college. So the whole thing is a massive drain on resources for very little return.

So what is the soloution to the ever increasing natural wastage.....

My primary soloution and I'm open to other suggestions is the lowering of the enlistmnet age get them in younger and you'll get that extra year

It may not be as problematic in other units but people are passing through our fingers be fore we can introduce them to the more interesting features such as driving and gunnery

[Docman]

Is it true that recruiting is being stopped soon? If so why?

Not stopped, just limited. As with all things decided by the PDF, we will be the last to know why because we know it is a stupid idea.

[How Ya Doin?]

Is it true that recruiting is being stopped soon? If so why?

[JAG]

Does everybody have access to a computer?
Would everybody be proficient enough to design a poster?
Does everybody have a job where they can use company resources for their own use?

Unless the answer is yes to all of the above, the unit/person in charge would have to pay for them.

Ahem.

Everyone here has acess to a PC and the internet for their own use (or you wouldn't be on this board. So.

Download trial version of Adobe Acrobat. This, with word & digital camera will give you 30 days to do up a leaflet/poster. It aint that hard to do- just practice for a while.

Print the thing out a thousand times or

e-mail me and I will print it out a thousand times for you and post it out. If you leave it long enough I'll be able to print it out on colour laser jet.

Cost out of unit funds = €0.00

This offer is open to anyone who wants to avail of it. PM me and I'll send e-mail address.

There is no such thing as "I can't" there is only "I won't"

[Docman]

It seems like you have your shit together. In my unit it’s not so well thought out.

Well, when we started doing it, it was a very haphazard but with experience has improved. All you need is experience.

In my unit we recruit through association. Meaning...if everybody in the unit brings up 1 recruit then that will be enough.

We have done something similiar. A person already in that school or college will tell their friends when we are coming in and will be part of the recruiters for that visit. It has worked wonders as the potential recruit already know that person and will listen to what they say.

[The Joker]

Well Docman I am very impressed. It seems like you have your shit together. In my unit it’s not so well thought out. We have not visited a school in a few years now. I was one of the recruiters; I gave a talk about the rank system. I was told to. It nearly put me asleep!!! I was only a 2 star or a new 3 star. There was also a talk about the new DPM uniform etc. Not sure we got any recruits from it, but it was an experience for all involved.

In my unit we recruit through association. Meaning...if everybody in the unit brings up 1 recruit then that will be enough. From what I have seen this does not work. There needs to be a concentrated effort to recruit people. However another major difficulty we have is the issue of weapons training. Most times they will be told yes. But it never materialised.

My unit paid for leaflets to be made up a few years ago, they were given out to the local shops etc we got a pretty good response. We are hoping to get a website up and running in the New Year.

The recruits that we do have started an Occupational First Aid course which is recognised in Civvy Street. But they have not started getting into the knitty gritty of military training yet. They may as well be in the Order of Malta at the moment. It’s very annoying.

[Docman]

I think it was the 14Bn who had their own posters.

OK, Where did you see those posters??? I know where we put most of them but I didn't realise that there were any in shops.

OK

What we do....

In August, letters are sent (printed out on computer and posted in unit post) to specific schools and colleges. A week later, those places are contacted by phone. The Career Guidance teacher or Student union usually seem to be the best people to contact. For Career Guidance teachers, it usually means that they give up a class for you to talk to the students. We have a short video/DVD set up and usually play it in the background. Colleges tend to be day long events and a lot more preparation and numbers are required. Having both male and female recruiters helps as well. Colleges also tend to have specific days in October when they have societies and other groups in. For those interested, we have a short handout (1/3 of a page) with details of location and times etc of a recruitment night.

The recruitment night is broken into a short, more detailed, talk about the Reserve followed by a weapons display. All and any questions are answered. If interested, people are asked to come up the following week to start training. There is a training programme worked out which slowly introduces them to military life and training by using the non-restricted items in the recruit syllabus. They are also introduced to the previous years recruits (who also make up some of the recruiters) who tell them "enthusiastically" what they did for the year.

It takes time to do. It NEEDS to be done by students or people with holidays as it is VERY labour and time intensive.
Having been doing it for a few years, We now know most Career Guidance teachers by name and we have a schedule worked out. Some even contact us during the year for specific events etc. The recruiters have a lot of experience and know what to say and not say, but it has taken years to achieve this much. You also have to expect a major attrition rate as about only 1 in 5 people will actually stay. Schools are very good for numbers but colleges are not. However every recruit matters.

The next job once you get them in the door is to keep them. It is only if you have a well prepared programme, training and NCOs that they will stay. Otherwise, it is just a waste of time. I have found that "cool" training doesn't work but providing them with a goal, and showing them the steps needed to achieve that goal, that works.
ie. We are training you to participate in a Bn Exercise in September. To achieve this, we need to complete Foot & arms drills, steyr and tactical training etc. All the time, as you move onto a new subject, they should be shown the relevance of that subject to their goal and what is the next step.

[T.I.M.]

Well the platoon im in now used "assoication", we went to schools we were in our selfs or bring pte's who were in the schools ant have a chat or ppt show about our training, roles, and plenty of action shots...

basicly places where the idea of not being where they currently are and have something to do and look forward to on a tue/wed/thur night are goldmines.