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A newly minted incentive scheme will reportedly be introduced next month to encourage additional sign-ups for the Australian Defence Force.
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The two-year trial scheme will allegedly provide a $1,000 payment to any ADF member who helps ease current recruitment issues by recruiting additional personnel.
Under the rules, expected to be introduced next month, the scheme provides a $1,000 payment to an ADF member who refers a person to join the ADF who then completes 12 months of service as a member of the permanent forces, according to information published by the ABC over the weekend.
Referral fees are typically more commonplace in the commercial industry sector and often represent internal agreements between employers and employees to provide monetary reward or other incentives in exchange for successful referrals. In most cases, the practice is used as a cost-effective tool to reward existing staff and diversify promotion.
In 2023, the federal government’s Defence Strategic Review (DSR) recommended an increase in recruitment speed from application to enlistment and the process of recruitment should be achieved in days, not months.
The DSR also recommended changes to Defence’s recruitment framework, a comprehensive strategic review by 2025 of the ADF Reserves and consideration of the reintroduction of a Ready Reserve Scheme.
The previous federal government announced a target of growing Australia’s armed forces to 80,000 uniformed personnel by 2040 to operate newly purchased military equipment.
In addition, former chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell, speaking at the Senate estimates earlier this year, said current inflow rates remain below the level required to maintain the Defence Force as it operates with more than 4,308 people below its authorised strength of 62,735.
Australia will require “considerable effort to remediate recruiting and retention challenges”, according to comments made during the Senate foreign affairs, defence and trade legislation committee (Senate estimates) on 14 February this year.
