Around 14,000 people need to join up every year for the army to maintain its strength – and while recent figures showed an upward trend in enlistments and applications, the number of troops entering the regular and reserve ranks was still more than 3,000 short of the target in the year to April.
In a signal of intent, service chiefs recently split recruitment and training into two separate commands. But according to one of the senior officers in charge, boosting inflow isn’t just the domain of the top brass – it starts with anyone who puts on the King’s uniform.
Maj Gen Joe Fossey (pictured left), the newly appointed director of army recruiting, called for all personnel to recognise their role in turning things around.
“The service has outsourced recruiting to Capita but the mindset that follows that is that it’s someone else’s problem to sort out, when actually it’s everyone’s business,” he said.
“From the way people conduct themselves when they’re out and about to how they speak to the public or act online, everyone is a recruiter, whether they like it or not.”
Encouraging uniformed influencers to share content was another element being considered, the officer added. “I’d like us to get some of our brilliant young soldiers telling their stories in the places that matter to young people, which is now usually the virtual sphere,” he went on.
“We have some great role models, who could be saying ‘look at what I’m up to today – it’s pretty cool’.
“It needs people who are inspiring to create the flow into this amazing organisation.”
Despite criticism of previous advertising, Maj Gen Fossey said an increase in applications suggested the ‘You Belong Here’ campaign had chimed with gen Z.
But he acknowledged the difficulties of speaking to a cohort that have very different career expectations. “The workplace wants of the generation that’s come through Covid are different,” he explained.
“Our very structured approach of people joining as soldiers for a minimum of five years, doing training, then trade training might not suit.
“They also have an expectation that the website, apps and processes are very slick and responsive. They don’t tend to wait around long before they’re on to the next thing and the recruiting system takes time, while we carry out vetting and medical checks and make sure they can do the job we need them to do.
“This is a complex ecosystem with human beings who have free will and choice, so if you’re going to improve it you’ve got to make lots of different adjustments – not just one.”
Finding ways to nurture candidates through the lengthy enlistment pipeline will therefore be a key focus for the general and his team in the short term, as well as streamlining medical review procedures.
In addition, they will be laying the groundwork for the recently announced move towards a tri-service recruitment organisation in partnership with contractor Serco from 2027, which will end the 15-year contract with Capita.
In the meantime, Maj Gen Fossey said his department were open to ideas from the serving and ex-military community on how business can be done better.
“There is no shortage of opinion in the world of recruitment and people are very free to offer it,” he continued. “In my experience, if you listen, you will find some gold nuggets.
]We are working very hard to improve things, so why wouldn’t we use everything at our disposal?” The recent announcements of a 4.5 per cent pay rise for the forces and extra cash for housing should boost the cause of getting more boots through the army’s door.
And June’s strategic defence review underlined that the UK military is a growth industry once more. But the same study laid bare the threats likely to face troops in the near future, and the associated urgency of closing the recruitment gap. With national security at stake, ensuring a steady supply of motivated and capable soldiers can no longer be seen as someone else’s job – it’s a mission for all who serve.
The latest defence stats show a mixed bag when it comes to recruitment…
43,900
Number of UK and Irish applications to join the regular army last year – up 37 per cent on the previous 12 months
8,098
Intake of new regular personnel in the same period – an increase of 12 per cent
42.5%
Rise in applications to the reserves
3,100
Shortfall in intake versus 14,143 target
9,000
Troops that left regular service in the year to April, which although 400 less than in 2024 resulted in a net workforce decrease of one per cent
