Challenge: Alternative recruitment models

Challenge Statement

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) require a modern, agile, and cost-effective recruitment system that reduces reliance on physical recruitment sites and leverages novel approaches to engage with applicants located across Canada.

Background and Context

Enhancing the efficiency of the CAF recruiting system is a key defence priority. The CAF recruitment model continues to rely on ‘bricks and mortar’, where applicants are required to report to a recruiting center to complete many of the steps involved in the application process. Although applicants can now apply online, the majority of the recruitment and selection process involves direct involvement of CAF members (e.g. administration, testing, evaluation of learning equivalencies, file tracking and processing, etc.). The CAF would like to explore strategies to reduce their reliance on physical recruitment sites, while maintaining (or, preferably, increasing) access to the applicant pool and ensuring applicants receive the exposure they require to make informed decisions about a career in the CAF.

Desired Outcomes and Considerations

The desired outcome of this activity is the development and demonstration of innovative approaches to recruit personnel for the CAF, while decreasing the footprint, maintaining/increasing access to the applicant pool, and ensuring applicants have access to information necessary to make decision (which could include but is not limited to the employment of virtual recruitment technologies/processes, the use of artificial intelligence to identify and attract individuals with specific competencies and attributes and up to the complete outsourcing of the early phases of recruitment). Proposals should be tailored to the unique context of the CAF. Proposals should include a detailed discussion of the factors to be considered in assessing alternative recruitment approaches, including cost/benefit considerations (i.e. personnel and funding to set up and sustain the capability). Proposals should build upon best practices observed across a broad range of organizational types (i.e. private, public, non-profit, other).