Marine Corps Leadership Basics for Business – Attracting the Best

Want to have the best possible employees? Of course you do! The Marine Corps Leadership Basics for Business strategies can be used when it comes to attracting the best for for your business.

As I mentioned earlier, the Marine Corps is well recognized for its world-class leadership program.  When it comes to building leaders, the Marine Corps can’t be beat.  This exemplary process begins with attracting the best recruits, followed by delivering elite basic training, and then continues by providing first-class ongoing leadership building for all Marines – both non-commissioned officers (NCO) and commissioned officers – throughout their USMC career.

Let’s begin by discussing six successful recruiting techniques the Corps uses and how these practices would be beneficial to the business community:

 

  1. Recruiters should be the cream of the crop – Being a recruiter is a high-profile post in the Marine Corps. This role is highly sought after, and success here leads to promotion. Like the Corps, your recruiters are the point people for your hiring efforts and they too MUST be your best to attract the best.  They are the most qualified to recognize candidate potential.

 

  1. Companies should consider casting a wider recruitment net – Like the Corps, you want to look for smart, motivated people with strong character. Background and experience do not guarantee a candidate’s success. Test for intelligence, personality, and motivation (Wonscore.com is a great tool for this) and use training to develop your people because training and mentoring creates leaders.  As well, this concept lowers recruitment and retention costs too.

 

  1. Utilizing an intern program is another great tool – Marines have had much success with the Young Marines program, ROTC and “delayed entry.”  In these programs recruits learn all aspects of the Corps prior to enlisting. This enhanced knowledge leads to increased boot camp completion rate. Your organization should also consider an intern program. The cost is affordable, creates a pipeline of quality candidates and can reduce overall recruitment costs and struggles.

 

  1. Focus on make your HR office something special – A Marine recruiter’s office is a recruiting tool.  It is supplied with Corps swag, brochures, photos…  Everything in the office, including the recruiter, reinforces the candidate’s decision to join the Marine Corps.  Your office should be, and do, the same.  Remember, this is the candidate’s first impression of your organization.  It can make or break a candidate’s decision to become a member of your team.

 

  1. The Corps offers guaranteed career paths – If a recruit wants to be trained in a specific MOS or join a certain unit, it can be arranged.  The benefit of this is that it increases enlistment, tenure, and job satisfaction.  Your company too should provide a career path for your recruits.  Training coupled with career development planning and quarterly performance assessments can increase an employee’s job satisfaction.

 

  1. Your firm should consider publicizing your pay scale – In the Corps, our recruiters are pleased to share pay scale.  Each recruit can see a “Time in Grade & Pay” matrix to see what the future holds in terms of income.  You might want to consider using this tool as well.  Your matrix could show a pay range for your hourly and salary employees and include bonuses too.  This eliminates harmful pay speculation gossip, thus improving morale.

 

When it comes to attracting the best, no one does it better than the Marines. You can, too! Just follow the Marines’ strategies.

If you would like to speak with us about creating a topnotch leadership-driven company culture or have a business question or issues you would like to discuss, please feel free to reach out to us through our website Contact page.

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