Promoting inclusive recruiting and selection into military training schools: Admission waivers versus retesting

Area of Science:

• Human Resources
• Organizational Psychology
• Military Personnel Management

Background:

• Organizations, including the U.S. Armed Forces, are focused on diversifying workforces.
• The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) faces challenges in diversifying its personnel.
• The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is crucial for USCG recruit training school assignment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of retesting versus admission waivers on USCG recruits' training school outcomes.
• To specifically examine outcomes for underrepresented minority (URM) recruits.
• To inform USCG recruitment and selection strategies for improved diversity and success.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 16,624 USCG recruits (2013-2021).
• Utilized augmented inverse propensity weighted models to account for self-selection into admission pathways.
• Compared training outcomes based on initial qualification, retesting, or waiver admission.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in training outcomes between recruits qualifying initially and those who retested.
• Recruits admitted via waivers were less likely to complete training on time and required more remedial training.
• The benefit of retesting over waivers was more pronounced for URM recruits.

Conclusions:

• Retesting appears to be a more effective strategy than waivers for USCG training success.
• Retesting may serve as a valuable tool for enhancing workforce diversity, particularly for URM recruits.
• Findings suggest revising USCG admission policies to favor retesting for underrepresented groups.