Launch of civilian marketing campaign pivotal in filling Air Force jobs

  • Published
  • By Maj. Beth Kelley Horine
  • Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --  Over the next five years, Air Force officials plan to hire 20,000 more civilians into civil service. To help bases better market civilian job openings and recruit qualified applicants for current and future jobs, Air Force Personnel Center specialists will roll out the "Your Future" marketing and recruiting campaign in September.

"The overall strategy of the 'Your Future' campaign is to help market and brand the Air Force as a premier civilian employer," said Shirlene LeBleu, AFPC's Civilian Force Integration Directorate's Force Renewal and Development division chief. "The initiative, once released Air Force-wide, will help fill civilian vacancies more quickly by targeting qualified, local candidates, as well as increase employment opportunities for military dependents."

The campaign, which was piloted in March at 14 Air Force bases, provides marketing and recruitment tools to civilian personnel offices and installation managers to target military spouses and external candidates.

"The purpose of the pilot was to get feedback on the marketing toolkit and adjust, if necessary, for the Air Force wide roll-out this fall," said Pat Stokes, a marketing specialist in AFPC's Civilian Force Integration directorate. "This campaign was developed to ensure the bases have the tools they need to reach the right people, and the feedback from our test bases was monumental.  On average, (there was) a 25 percent increase of civilian applicants across all the pilot bases."

Overseas bases using the marketing toolkit drew an even higher increase in civilian applicants.

"In the first half of the campaign, Spangdahlem (Air Base, Germany) had a 58 percent increase in telephone calls about civilian jobs and a 200 percent increase in walk-ins to their civilian personnel office," Ms. Stokes said. "Even at Fairchild (Air Force Base, Wash.), a base (here in the U.S.), they had a 44 percent increase in telephone calls, walk-ins and emails about civilian job openings during the campaign."

"There was a definite correlation in the amount of tools a base utilized from the marketing toolkit to the increase in applicants received.  The more tools used, the more civilian applications they received," she added.

Minor changes to the marketing campaign were made to prepare for the Air Force-wide launch.

"Bases seemed very pleased with the marketing tools and the campaign," said Ms. Stokes, "but we did use feedback received to transform some of our marketing tools to include a focus on people and diversity."

The toolkit, which was briefed via webcast to civilian personnel flights on Aug. 4, is now available for all installation managers to help them notify their local community of jobs available. However, base officials can choose when they want to launch their marketing campaign, as necessary.

"We understand that some tools may not work at every Air Force base, because each base has different needs," said Ms. Stokes. "The toolkit is flexible in that bases can choose if and when they use specific tools, and it is tailored differently for overseas and stateside bases," she added.

Items in the marketing toolkit include base exchange radio spots, public service announcements for local radio and television stations, videos and briefings to take to chambers of commerce and to use during commanders' calls, flyers, brochures and a comprehensive marketing guide.

"The guide also includes templates for posters, stickers and letters bases can tailor to fit their needs," Ms. Stokes added.

Ultimately, the marketing guide helps local base officials identify who to contact to help with recruiting efforts, and includes a step-by-step process on how to use the tools in the toolkit, the tools themselves, and newcomer information to share with Airmen and Family Readiness Centers.

For individuals interested in civilian employment with the Air Force, visit the new Air Force civilian employment Web site, which will be fully operational in September: http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/afcivilianjobs.