New Hampshire recruiters have also seen more people with previous job experience who are interested in the stability of an Army career.
By Kelly Burch, Granite State News Collaborative
Before the pandemic hit, Sargent Denium Reynolds, an Army recruiter based in Keene, spent a lot of time on the road. The Keene recruiting office is one of six Army recruiting offices in New Hampshire. Reynolds and the five other service members in the office are responsible for recruiting in southwestern New Hampshire, all the way up to the Upper Valley. To do that, they used to go out into the community, visiting high schools and colleges to talk to people who may be interested in an Army career.
“A lot of recruiting was done face to face,” Reynolds said.
When Reynolds met someone at a recruiting event, he would often follow up with a phone call. If the person was interested in more information they would come to the Keene office for an in-person conversation.
“It’s easier to get a feel for somebody, tell whether they’re hiding something or lying to you,” when you’re in front of them, Reynolds said.
When the pandemic took hold, the Army never paused recruiting. But with schools and universities pivoting to remote learning and people being told to avoid public spaces, the Army needed to reevaluate how it was reaching potential recruits.
The Keene Army Recruiting office holds weekly workouts for future soldiers. Although the Army mandates masks, they’re not required when outdoors and socially distanced. (Courtesy photo)
“The Army had never looked at social media too heavily as a recruiting method,” Reynolds said.
However, some recruiters, including Reynolds, had recognized that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms provided a direct way of engaging with young people. Last March, the Army began noticing that recruiters with a social media presence were reaching more people than those who were relying on phone calls alone.
“Some recruiters used social media as an enhancer for their job,” Reynolds said. “Those people succeeded still [during the pandemic], but the people who were used to phone calls were struggling.”
The Army issues a directive, encouraging recruiters to build up a social media presence. That was fine with Reynolds, who was already used to messaging potential recruits.
“I was very comfortable in that arena,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds still had some interested recruits come into the Keene office, but began offering remote meetings as well. He noticed that people were more likely to miss their remote appointments than they were to no-show in-person meetings.
“They don’t have as much commitment to a virtual appointment,” Reynolds said.
He began using all platforms — from Facebook messenger to Zoom — to try to meet people where they were most comfortable. Reynolds also worked on building rapport with potential recruits through video calls the same way he would if they were meeting in person.
“If you don’t like your recruiter, chances are you’re not going to sign up,” he said.
Reynolds describes the recruitment process as a casual conversation, where a person discusses what they can offer the Army, and what the Army can offer for then. Right now a big draw for many New Hampshirites is the stability of a military job.
Recruits at the Army’s recruiting office in Keene, including Sargent Denium Reynolds, far right, have relied more on social media since the pandemic. (Courtesy photo)
“Once you’re in the Army, they’re not going to fire you or lay you off,” Reynolds said.
During most years, many recruits are recent high school or college graduates. Since the pandemic, Reynolds is seeing more mature recruits, who have previous job experience but are looking for more job stability or higher pay.
“I think it’s a great place for people to go if they’re seeking steady employment to maintain or grow a family,” Reynolds said.
Each year, the Army signs up about 40 recruits through the Keene office. The office remained on track with that goal in 2020, despite an initial slowdown in recruiting during the stay-at-home order. However, more people are looking at a part-time military option, the Army Reserve, drawn by perks like health insurance and the ability to remain in New Hampshire.
“We’re seen a lot of interest in the Reserve,” Reynolds said.
Most people who are considering joining the Army aren’t too concerned about COVID precautions, Reynolds said. He’s upfront with recruits that basic training is two weeks longer than normal right now, due to quarantine requirements when recruits arrive on base. Other than that, there hasn’t been a huge impact on military operations, Reynolds said.
“It’s not really high on their list of concerns,” Reynolds says of COVID. “I think they understand that the Army is a government agency, so we operate under any regulations that the government mandates.”
For now, that includes mandatory masks and social distancing, while continuing to extoll the perks of a military career.
“People are looking for employment and we’re definitely one of the bigger employers in the U.S.,” Reynolds said.
This story is part of the 50 Businesses, 50 Solutions series, shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative, that aims to highlight how business leaders across the state, from mom and pop shops, to large corporations have adapted to meet the challenges and disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus in the hopes others may be able to replicate these ideas and innovations. Tell us your story here. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.