JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Air Force Recruiting Service at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph completed a 62-day study March 31 which took an intensive look at their organizational culture and ways to improve their policies and processes.
The Recruiting Professional Standards Team, comprised of 25 Airmen, recommended 131 changes centered around 46 key themes.
"The challenges created by more than seven years of significant resource reductions have seriously impacted AFRS' ability to professionally accomplish the recruiting mission, and reduced manning, vehicles, transportation, critical temporary duty travel, infrastructure, information technology support, and operations and marketing funding have taken their toll on its recruiters," said Brig. Gen. James C. Johnson, AFRS commander. "We are committed to take all necessary steps to provide our Airmen with the proper manning, transportation, technology, and operations support required to most effectively execute the Air Force mission to inspire, engage, and recruit future Airmen."
Some of these recommendations have already taken effect, while some initiatives will take up to 18 months to be fully implemented. Changes will impact across numerous fronts: leadership and culture challenges; goals and incentives; organization; special duty vs. career model; manning, screening and selection for duty; and job resources and training.
Changes are expected to improve internal processes, policies and accession requirements in an effort to reduce stress on the recruiting mission and improve efficiencies.
The recruiter survey data conveyed that the recruiters' No. 1 complaint was duplicative and excessive documentation. Recommendations include: allowing certified recruiters to determine their own planning mechanism; documenting lead generation in one source; establishing requirements to visit schools once per school year; and allowing health professionals and line officer applicants to follow up via video telephone conferencing versus face-to-face interviews.
These changes will allow for more flexibility to accomplish the mission with reduced stress and give time back to the recruiters for higher priorities.
Despite 60-70 hour work weeks and inadequate resources, recruiters have not failed to meet Air Force accession requirements for more than 15 years. And while accessions requirements for each individual recruiter have remained relatively unchanged the past 15 years, recruiting authorizations have decreased to the lowest numbers since 1999, when AFRS last missed its annual accession requirements.
"The RPST was a tool to further develop professional, resilient recruiters who are inspired by our heritage, committed to Air Force core values, and motivated to deliver the right Airmen of this next generation to join America's Air Force," Johnson said.