2003 IMTA Proceedings - International Military Testing Association

would be better, and that there would be better (civilian) employment opportunities
outside the Army. In third place was the belief that if the individual stayed in the British
Army any longer, if would be difficult to start a civilian career. This statement is
particularly interesting in light of the fact that the majority of PVR questionnaires were
returned by personnel aged 30 or under.
These top three reasons for taking PVR from the British Army are fairly similar to those
given in surveys conducted by the Royal Navy/Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force.
In the RN/RM, the top three reasons cited are the desire to live at home, the wish to take
up another career, and to marry and/or raise a family. In the RAF, the reasons are given
as a lack of family stability, career prospects outside the RAF, and the difficulty in
starting a second career if the individual stays in the service for any longer.
For the British Army, the fourth most frequently endorsed contributory or critical factor
in the decision to PVR was the statement there was too much separation from a spouse
or partner. Interestingly, this statement was cited as contributing or being critical to a
decision to leave among married and single personnel, and personnel in a long term
relationships. When responses related to the impact of the Army on personal and/or
domestic life were analysed in greater detail, an interesting pattern emerged. The top
two factors in this category were the same for married personnel, single personnel, and
those in a long term partnership. These were the degree of separation from a
spouse/partner, and the detrimental effects of Army life on the relationship. The third
most important factor for single personnel and those in a long term relationship was the
poor standard of single living accommodation (SLA). For married personnel, it was the
detrimental effect of Army life upon children.
Personnel expectations will certainly have a role in retention. For example, the Serving
Personnel survey asks, for those who joined the British Army within the last five years,
about the factors that most influenced their decision to join. Recruitment positive factors
include the opportunities for sport and an active life, and the opportunities for adventure
training. However, 59% of PVR leavers stated that a lack of opportunity for sporting
activities or adventurous training had contributed, or was critical, to their decision to
leave the British Army. Similarly, 43% of PVR leavers stated that an insufficient
amount/quality of training had contributed, or was critical, to their decision to leave the
Army. Clearly, providing a positive image of Army life is a key recruitment factor.
However, expectations need to be managed throughout an Army career to avoid
disappointment and enhance retention.
The surveys administered to Serving Personnel also provide valuable information on
retention factors. These data can be used to compare intentions to leave with Leavers
survey data on actual exit behaviour. Table 1 shows the factors that increase intention to
leave among serving personnel, and those that are important in actually deciding to
leave for those who PVR.
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45 th Annual Conference of the International Military Testing Association
Pensacola, Florida, 3-6 November 2003