Mishall RehmanIn an effort to retain talented individuals and visible minorities, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is now employing the Adaptive Unit Retention Process (AURP).
The goal of the AURP is not only retain CAF members and especially women, Indigenous People, and people with disabilities but also to reduce “unhealthy attrition in stressed occupations.”
The hope is that the CAF can better understand how to retain members. The AURP falls under the CAF Retention Strategy and has been in effect since April 1, 2022.
Unit Retention Interview
According to CANFORGEN 175/22, one of the first initiatives under the AURP is implementing changes to the Commanding Officer Release interview. This will now include the Unit Retention Interview (URI) CAF-wide.
The URI began with Regular Force members on April 1, 2022, and will be extended to Primary Reserve members at a later date.
According to the CANFORGEN, the URI was implemented to address shortcomings in the Commanding Officer interview and to standardize and formalize a process.
Standardizing the Unit Retention Interview will help the CAF not only discuss retention options with members but also find “optimal retention options to keep members within the unit and/or occupation,” according to the CANFORGEN.
Another important goal of the URI is to collect data so that the CAF can better understand the military’s retention efforts while highlighting areas for improvement.
Trial phase
The URI is currently in a trial phase from April 11, 2022, to March 31, 2023. The trial phase will allow the DGMP to fine-tune the AURP and the URI. It is expected to be operationally capable by April of this year.
Initiating the URI
The URI will be initiated when a member chooses to release voluntarily. Upon initiating the URI, commanding officers should contact their Human Resources Manager to obtain access to the Canadian Armed Forces Release Administration. The URI has been available in the CAFRA since Oct. 12, 2022.
Sharing Retention Options
The military clarifies that retention is not a “one size fits all” approach. CAF members do not have just to be retained at the unit level but can be retained even at the occupational or broadly within the CAF overall in some manner.
“When discussing retention options, the CO must balance organizational and service requirements with member’s needs and aspirations,” stated the CANFORGEN.
Commanding officers are encouraged to reach out to career managers, base personnel selection officers, and occupation/branch advisors to explore options for their members.
Gender-based analysis plus should be considered in matters of retention.
Encouraging retention
The Canadian military instructs commanding officers to be accountable for retention matters within their Units. Additionally, the CAF believes in employing retention efforts from the onset of a military member’s career. Therefore, commanding officers should educate the Chain of Command on retention options.
Other ways to encourage retention efforts will be further communicated to CAF leadership. Other retention activities can include courses for commanding officers, career manager annual training sessions and symposiums.
Additionally, the military is encouraging all members of the CAF to act in a way that will promote a culture of inclusivity and retention.
“Leaders at all levels are responsible for promoting, supporting, and encouraging retention throughout members’ careers, and leaders at all levels can influence a member’s desire to remain in the CAF,” stated the CANFORGEN.
For questions about the AURP or URI, contact the Retention Program Office at ++CAFRPO-BPMEdesfac@cmpdgmp@ottawa-hull.
