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A large and growing segment of the U.S. population is not a primary source of military manpower because of various life choices and conditions

• Identifying where occupational characteristics may limit RC participation among some populations can suggest ways to expand that participation.
• Trends suggest that Americans will continue becoming more accustomed to flexible employment options and will expect them in military service.

Civilian employers have developed a range of alternative work models that enhance their ability to attract and retain talent

• These include models that reduce the degree to which time and location requirements govern the employment relationship by incorporating flexibilities in terms of when and where work is performed.

RCs offer a structural means to enable and facilitate experimentation with different structures and parameters for work

• Each state has independent legal authority to structure duty schedules and parameters as it chooses, provided it meets federal readiness requirements.
• Federal RCs have legal authority to experiment with duty schedules, parameters, alternative work arrangements, recruiting processes, and other policies, provided they meet operational requirements.

Nondefense federal agencies and state and local governments already utilize flexible workforce models

• At the federal level, alternative work schedules, telework, and a range of part-time, temporary, and seasonal work arrangements exist across the agencies.
• State and local governments have long incorporated part-time, on-call, and seasonal workers, and many are building additional flexibilities into their full-time work offerings.

Advances in technology contribute to the development of innovative workforce models

• Technology can enhance employers' ability to incorporate flexible scheduling practices.
• Technology is a major driver of telework and remote work options that can broaden the pool of talent from which employers can draw.

Changes in employment stability, family structure, and economic pressures since the development of the U.S. military reserve component (RC) in the twentieth century have created challenges and opportunities for how the RC is used. Sustaining an operational RC demands committed reservists and guardsmen, and since, at present, the population is not meeting that demand under traditional models, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has begun to look for ways to access and retain ready participants under alternative programs.

Modified assumptions about Reserve duty have the potential to improve RC member recruitment, performance, development, and retention in critical occupational fields — and it could stem projected manpower losses or provide alternative service options in fields with highly competitive civilian industries. The research team employs an iterative, qualitative analytical process to develop a list of possible workforce constructs aimed at enhancing innovation in U.S. military personnel processes.

The findings in this report will be relevant and applicable primarily to U.S. military leaders and U.S. government policymakers. The authors provide specific recommendations and more general analysis that will be immediately applicable in developing and administering programs to facilitate access to civilian human capital to help meet DoD's most pressing requirements. This research will also be applicable to broader U.S. academic and policymaking communities that seek to understand how organizations are adapting to changes in the workforce and labor market.

• Chapter One

  Introduction

• Chapter Two

  Policy and Practice Surrounding Current Reserve Component Personnel Systems and Related Sources of Human Capital

• Chapter Three

  Service Demand for Key Types of Personnel

• Chapter Four

  Identifying Segments of the Labor Force Underrepresented in Military Service

• Chapter Five

  A Comparative Analysis of Reserve Component Organizational Models Across Foreign Militaries

• Chapter Six

  Innovative Employment Models in Other U.S. Public Organizations and the Private Sector

• Chapter Seven

  Potential Workforce Constructs for Innovative Reserve Component Workforce Management Models

• Chapter Eight

  Conclusions and Recommendations

• Appendix A

  Identifying Shortfalls in Specialties Across the Services

• Appendix B

  Detailed Analysis of Potential Human Capital Rewards of Alternatives

• Appendix C

  Background and Case Studies of Nonstandard Work Arrangements