New Navy Recruit Survey (NRS)

A survey was designed to assess effectiveness of recruiting incentives, advertising, and applicant processing. Items were developed for eight content areas-reasons for joining, influences from family and friends, parent background, ads awareness, ads influence, recruiter contact, special enlistment incentives, and job interests. The survey was administered in 1990- 1991 to about 4,000 men and 1,000 women recruits. Top reasons to join the Navy were for high-tech training, preparation for a civilian job, travel, serve country, and fringe benefits. Of various Navy media ads, the highest impact was from brochures, followed by television and mail. The recruiters help in providing details about Navy opportunities doubles the applicants interest, highlighting the critical importance of effective recruiters. Most recruits 84 first thought about joining the Navy before the 12th grade, including 31 while in the 9th grade or earlier. The long-term job interests of men and women reflected continuing patterns of so-called traditional type jobs of each. For the Navy to compete effectively for high quality people, sites to administer the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery ASVAB should be maximized. That is because high-quality applicants are strongly influenced when recruiters tell them what opportunities and specific programs are available from their ASVAB scores. The results provide useful information for allocating recruiting resources and developing sales strategies.