RETENTION, RETENTION, RETENTION!!!
Every person who leaves the RAF (or RN/Army), who has been unhappy with their experience while in, produces a "double whammy" effect. Not only do they need replacing, so you need to recruit, but they are out there in the real world encouraging people (such as they own children) NOT to join - SO MAKING RECRUITMENT MORE DIFFICULT! This they will do naturally, without making any great effort to do so. These people, and especially their wives/partners, are what I believe the recruiting world calls "gatekeepers", with respect to their offspring.
We haven't even mentioned the increased training costs, which UK plc funds, of making little effort to retain and just recruiting instead to replace (most extreme case, about £5M I believe to train a pilot these days - recruit a 20 year old or retain a 35 year old for another 20 years, comparative costs!).
Then there are experience issues!!
However, it is no doubt easier, and cheaper, to recruit naive/idealistic young men and women than fix the reasons why large numbers of people are leaving in the first place!!!
Last edited by Biggus; 31st May 2008 at 07:22.