Strategic Approach
Talent management is transformational, increases organizational agility, and focuses on productivity, which in the Army manifests as readiness and lethality. It also integrates all people practices, generating a positive effect on organizational outcomes and leveraging each individual’s knowledge, skills, behaviors, and preferences (KSB-Ps) for the mutual benefit of the Army and the individual. Lastly, this approach supports Army Strategy LOE 3, Reform, which calls for a talent management-based personnel system.
To achieve our vision of cohesive teams for the Joint Force, the Army People Strategy pursues four Strategic Outcomes, supported by four Critical Enablers, along four Lines of Effort: Acquire, Develop, Employ, and Retain Talent.
Our approach is graphically depicted here.
Strategic Outcomes
By 2028, our desired end-state for each outcome is:
Ready – The Army uses a range of technologies, incentives, programs, and policies to identify the talents of its people and the talent demands of its organizations in timely, accurate, and granular detail. It applies data-driven analytical tools to its talent employment and development efforts. This data drives a dynamic and accurate long-term workforce planning system which reduces talent gaps and increases overall Army readiness. It also enables the Army to rapidly build appropriately talented special mission teams - cohesive teams that are trained, disciplined, and fit to win.
Professional – The Army is a profession, a highly expert, certified, and credentialed force resulting from years of increasingly rigorous training, education, and leader development. Its people treat one another with dignity and respect, retaining the trust and confidence of both the American people and each other. Army professionals are people of character, presence, and intellect, committed to reflective practice and continuous learning. They share a powerful and enduring identity as lifelong members of the Army team.
Diverse – The Army is committed to equality of opportunity, providing all of our talented people with fulfilling and rewarding professional careers. As an inclusive and representative American institution, we ensure that our people possess a diversity of talent – knowledge, skills, behaviors, and preferences – drawn from all corners of our country and its vibrant, diverse population.
Integrated – The Army has overcome legal, cultural, and technological barriers to fully harmonize the efforts and capabilities of its Total Force: Active, Guard, Reserve Soldiers, and Civilians. This transformation has dramatically increased workforce permeability between the Active, Guard, and Reserve, between Soldiers and Civilians, to the benefit of both the Army and its people.
Lines of Effort
The following Lines of Effort (LOEs) organize our movement towards our Strategic Outcomes. Each disaggregates into three supporting objective areas, providing a framework for the alignment of specific initiatives in follow-on implementation plans.
We will proceed along all four LOEs simultaneously, but our implementation priority and main effort through 2028 is LOE 1, Acquire Talent, with an emphasis upon innovative new marketing, recruiting, and onboarding of our multiple cohorts (Total Army officers, enlisted, and civilians). This directly supports the Army Strategy’s priority through 2022 – LOE 1, Build Readiness, which calls for Total Army end strength growth, reductions in non-deployable rates, improvements in talent alignment, and improved training outcomes.
Acquiring the right talent is the most strategic activity we can engage in to support the Army Strategy, as it has a positive effect across all other LOEs. Acquiring the right talent directly improves the lethality and readiness of our military and civilian workforces while reducing attrition and behaviors inconsistent with the Army Culture and Values. This results in cost reductions related to support and improvement programs. Acquiring the right talent allows us greater flexibility to employ our people against uncertain future requirements and burnishes the Army’s reputation, creating a cycle that makes it easier to attract talented people tomorrow. Lastly, it increases the likelihood of retaining talent, particularly when sound accessions programs are linked to targeted retention initiatives.
Critical Enablers
The Army People Strategy relies upon four Critical Enablers (CE) to set the conditions for movement along its LOEs. CEs are cross-cutting in nature and disaggregate into supporting objective areas. They are:
