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Talent Management
 

In Focus

Read the Report from the recent Symposium on the Opportunities and Implications of the Blended Retirement System.

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Strategic context

The Changing Character of War

Our success on emerging battlefields will depend on our force being more highly trained, cognitively mature, and operationally experienced. As we adapt to changing conditions, our purpose and our warfighting ethos will not change – the Marine Corps will remain the world’s premier expeditionary warfighting organization, maritime in nature, and poised to immediately respond to any crisis.

Talent Management To Date


SMALL UNIT LEADER INITIATIVE (SULI)

The SULI allows high-performing, committed, corporals with 36 months of service who have executed a reenlistment, and are eligible for promotion to be promoted to sergeant upon the recommendation of their commanding officer. SULI is intended to empower commanders with more tools to align the talents of top-performing, mature noncommissioned officers to Marine Corps warfighting needs. With this program, the Service will continue to work towards fully resourcing formations with the required Sergeant leadership. (MARADMIN 225/23)


EARLY REENLISTMENT AUTHORITY (ERA)

The ERA Program creates an opportunity for first-term Marines to take ownership of their career at an earlier decision point. This provides greater career path choice and predictability for Marines and their families as well as greater unit stability and return on investment to the Marine Corps. The initial FY 2022 ERA pilot program was limited to just 200 Marines. The cap was removed in FY 2023 resulting in more than 2,000 submissions by our most highly-qualified Marines. FY 2024 ERA opens 01 December 2023. (MARADMIN 590/22)


MARINE CORPS GRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM – ENLISTED (PILOT)

The MCGEP-E Pilot program opened attendance at the Naval Post-Graduate School (NPS) to selected enlisted Marines to earn a master’s degree in specific programs. Within 18 days of the announcement of this program, NPS received 48 applications. Of these, five Marines and three alternates were selected for the pilot. This investment in the education of our Marines will develop cohorts of enlisted professionals for duty in directed assignments critical to meet the challenges and complexity of the future operating environment. Later this year, we will assess the viability of making this a permanent program. (MARADMIN 007/23)


COMMANDANT'S
RETENTION PROGRAM (CRP)

The CRP provided pre-approved reenlistments for top-performing Marines along with priority access to duty station and assignment options. This effort resulted in a 72% increase of first-term reenlistment submissions by top-performing Marines, with the average reenlistment approval accomplished in 24
to 48 hours – a fraction of the average reenlistment approval time. (MARADMIN 271/23)


STAFF NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER (SNCO) PROMOTION BOARD REALIGNMENT

To better sequence promotions, assignments, and reenlistments, enlisted promotion boards in FY 2024 will be realigned. This will result in reduced disruptions to unit cohesion and reduced uncertainty to Marines and families. (MARADMIN 453/22)


SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENT (SDA) VOLUNTEER INCENTIVES

The SDA Volunteer Incentives provided Active and Reserve Component Marines who volunteer for Special Duty Assignment with their preferred duty stations. This incentive resulted in a 62% increase of volunteers minimizing disruption to Marines, families, and Fleet Marine Force units, while also reducing SDA school attrition. (MARADMIN 311/22)


CAREER INTERMISSION
PROGRAM (CIP)

CIP allows Marines to temporarily pause active duty service and later resume their careers without penalty to enable career flexibility and encourage retention of experienced, talented Marines. CIP payback was reduced by half to one month of obligated active service for each month of intermission. We will closely assess the program to ensure it balances the need to sustain our professional fighting force and prevent loss of skill and familiarization. (MARADMIN 241/22)


DIGITAL BOARDROOM 2.0 (DBR 2.0)

DBR 2.0 increases the functionality and accuracy of information presented to board members, safeguards data, and improves this critical talent management process. The Enlisted Career Retention and Reserve Aviation Boards were successfully executed using the DBR 2.0. As DBR 2.0 use is expanded, the Marine Corps will assess outcomes, cost and time savings, and professional depth and breadth of board members to benchmark with our legacy process. 


MARINEVIEW 360-DEGREE LEADERSHIP REVIEW

The Marine Corps launched the MarineView360 Leadership Review pilot, a program designed as a leadership development tool that leverages a Marine’s supervisors, peers, and subordinates to identify hidden strengths and areas for improvement. The MarineView360 pilot began with sitting commanders and will significantly expand to include officer and enlisted leaders in the future.


OFFICER PROMOTION
OPT-OUT

The Officer Promotion Opt-Out initiative allows certain Active and Reserve Component in-zone officer populations to opt-out of consideration for promotion once, without penalty, to pursue unconventional career experiences or formal education, to increase the flexibility in officer career paths. The potential for offering this same flexibility to enlisted Marines is being explored. (MARADMIN 011/22) 


RECRUITING STATION COMMANDING OFFICER (RSCO) SELECTION BOARD

Commissioned officers eligible for recruiting station command consideration were offered two opportunities to increase career flexibility: volunteer and request removal. This change allowed officers to volunteer for command, including those not scheduled for consideration; and to request removal from consideration for one year, without penalty, to complete a deployment, personal or professional obligation. (MARADMIN 311/22)

 

The Way Ahead

Reorienting and reconfiguring our human resources enterprise into a talent management system is a work in progress, but one that is well underway and accelerating. The actions we have taken, and those we will take, ensure we will remain the Nation’s premier expeditionary force-in-readiness within a rapidly evolving world.

The initiatives below, nested within four mutually supporting lines of effort, are representative of those under consideration for development and decision during 2023.

Talent Management Campaign Lines of Effort

LOE1: Rebalance Recruiting and Retention

Rebalance recruiting and retention to accelerate the shift from our legacy, high turnover “recruit and replace” personnel model toward one characterized by a greater emphasis on investment in, and retention of, our most capable Marines.

The Way Ahead


QUALITY OF LEADERSHIP, QUALITY OF LIFE, MARINE FAMILIES
Reevaluating policies with renewed focus on Marines’ and their families’ needs, including high-quality barracks, chow halls, family housing, childcare center capacity, and sufficient options for pediatric care. Success will require supportive and engaged leadership, resourcing, and willingness to adopt new strategies.

TARGETED MATURATION
OF THE FORCE
The retention of trained, experienced, and proven Marines capitalizes on training investments and stands to increase our combat power and readiness. As we invest more intense training and education in Marines to prepare for more complex battlefields, we will retain more of our highest performing Marines.

ENLISTED CAREER DESIGNATION
We are preparing a pilot program for designation and indefinite end of active service. This would align SNCO and officer retention practices, increase flexibility in assignments, and reduce administrative burden and uncertainty for SNCOs and their families.

LATERAL ENTRY
We are developing a pilot process to bring in exceptionally talented Americans to meet critical shortfalls in highly specialized skills. In selected cases that benefit our warfighting readiness, these highly-qualified Americans will earn the title “Marine” and enter service at a rank appropriate for their education and experience.

LOE2: Optimize the Employment of Talent

Optimize the employment of talent to maximize our warfighting capabilities by increasing the effectiveness and transparency of the assignments process to better utilize and retain our most talented Marines.

The Way Ahead


MODERN TALENT MANAGEMENT TOOLS
The Marine Corps will implement a data-first strategy coupled with modernized talent management tools to reduce non-EAS attrition, and improve entry-level training performance, alignment of skills, and job satisfaction. The 3 tools in development are: the Marine Corps Occupational Specialty Matching (MCOSM) tool, the Tailored Adaptive Personality Assessment System (TAPAS), and the Retention Prediction Network (RPN).

HONE INCENTIVES
Based on empirical evidence, we will continue to refine our balance of monetary and non-monetary incentives to reward our most talented and committed Marines who volunteer for assignments beneficial to the institution. This includes eliminating non-essential permanent change of station moves and incentivizing lateral moves to increase retention of proven Marines.

CONTINUE TO MINIMIZE NON-ESSENTIAL PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION (PCS) MOVES
We will continue to increase local Permanent Change of Assignment (PCA) moves and decrease non-essential PCS moves. This shift increases unit cohesion, saves money, and reduces unnecessary strain on Marines and their families.

PROGRAM ENLISTED FOR REFORM
We are reexamining the manner in which we classify and assign recruits to specific MOSs. The future system will more logically group MOSs and improve alignment of a recruit’s aptitude and desires with the needs of the Marine Corps. We will also differentiate prerequisites for newly accessed Marines from experienced Marines who laterally move into a new MOS.

INCREASED RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Increased Return on Investment (ROI) – The service will explore revising personnel policies to enhance Service capability and return on investment, such as extending enlistment durations, offering conditions-based extensions, early reenlistment, and graduate education for SNCOs.

LOE3: Multiple Pathways To Career Success

As modern battlefields continue to demand more diversity of skills, expertise, and perspectives, we must adapt to accommodate multiple pathways to career success through career initiatives that account for evolving interests and personal development over the course of a Marine Corps career.

The Way Ahead


INCENTIVIZING LATERAL MOVES AND RETENTION
In FY24, we will present pre-approved lateral move options to talented Marines whose primary MOSs are already filled. We will also identify and remove barriers hindering lateral moves while exploiting incentives, such as fixed school dates and guaranteed follow-on orders, to help our most dedicated Marines fill gaps in critical fields.

ACTIVE AND RESERVE
PERMEABILITY
We seek to increase permeability between active and reserve components and take full advantage of opportunities for Total Force collaboration to increase our combat readiness. Given the nature of legislative limitations on reserve employment, we will work closely with Congress to seek assistance in identifying specific opportunities for AC-RC permeability.

OFFICER TECHNICAL CAREER PATHS
Officers who obtain Marine Corps-funded technical skills at graduate-level schools bring unique capabilities and perspectives to the Service. We will better capitalize on their expertise, increase our organizational performance, and maximize our return on investment in ways that are compatible with career success.

LOE4: Modern Talent Management Tools

Modernize talent management digital tools and data systems to synthesize personnel information and requirements across the force via a transparent, commander-focused, collaborative system to better align the individual abilities, skills, and aspirations of our Marines to our warfighting requirements.

The Way Ahead


MODERNIZE DATA MANAGEMENT
By implementing a data-first strategy focused on transforming, securing, and defending our personnel data, we will be able to promote, educate, develop, and retain our talent more effectively. We will begin by standardizing and aggregating our personnel data into a common data environment.

TALENT MANAGEMENT ENGAGEMENT PORTAL
We must field a transparent tool that integrates information to optimize assignments decisions. The platform will include a customer relationship management platform capable of advanced analytics and machine learning, as well as portals for Marines, monitors, and commands in a market-style assignment system.

AGILE TALENT EMPLOYMENT (GIG EAGLE)
This talent marketplace connects reserve personnel with specialized skill sets from across the Department of Defense with commands to fill immediate mission requirements. By breaking down barriers between branches and components, this program will allow Marine commands to unlock the talent within the RC and tactically apply their skills to support the mission at hand.

Read The Update

"Marines depart recruit training having earned the title “Marine.” We must honor our commitment to them as they arrive in our operating forces expecting meaningful and challenging training, and a culture of professionalism, pride, mutual trust, and respect. I challenge leaders at all echelons to create an environment in which individual merit is fostered, identified, and rewarded."

- Gen. David Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps.

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