Co-ordinator: Tibor Szvircsev Tresch, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
About us
As compulsory military service was abolished in Belgium in 1993 and the Netherlands in 1996 the aspect of voluntary service in Europe became increasingly recognised. Through this European armed forces have faced new challenges in the field of recruitment and retention. These can be described on a social and economical level. Socially, the demographic change of the European society is a major factor. Furthermore the change of values in society is influencing the way on how the armed forces are accepted and on how the gap between existing social values and military culture is increasing.
On the economic level the armed forces are confronted with the present employment situation. They have to face the free market and compete with private industry for suitable human recourses. Hereby they can often only offer inadequate financial and non monetary incentives. This competition is enhanced through low unemployment and strong economy and makes successful recruitment and retention even more difficult.
For the Working Group “Recruitment and Retention” of ERGOMAS the following questions are of interest: How successful is the recruitment of new professional military personnel in European armed forces? How to include personnel with immigration background and from minorities? What incentives have to be provided to provide an adequate number of volunteers for the military profession? What advertising strategies do the armed forces implement for successful recruitment? How successful is the retention of military personnel? What incentives have to be provided that military personnel prolong their first term contracts?
The idea of the WG is besides working on national case studies also implementing an international comparative analysis. The goal is to give lessons learned for responsible persons for recruitment and retention in the different European armed forces, if there are all-volunteer forces or conscript armies. The WG is open for all interested researchers.
News and activities
Call for abstracts
16th ERGOMAS Conference in Tartu, Estonia – 19-23 July 2021
*In collaboration with the ISA Armed Forces and Conflict Resolution
Research Committee (RC01)
Session: Recruitment and Retention
Working Group Coordinator: Tibor Szvircsev Tresch, Swiss Military Academy, ETH, Switzerland, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
As many European and Western countries have abolished conscription, their armed forces are now facing different challenges of employers who strive to attract and retain qualified staff. The armed forces are confronted with declining military expenditures and political support as well as with demographic change all of which reflect in recruiting and retention problems. This session will therefore show how armed forces deal with these challenges, particularly focusing on service motivation and the recruitment and retention of ethnic minorities and personal with immigration background and the management of this diversity.
The session is open for all interested researchers. Abstract can be sent to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Paper room
under construction