Characteristics of Canadian Armed Forces personnel open to alternatives to releasing from service

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) retention strategy seeks to instill a culture of retention where all members can thrive in fulfilling careers. Although the CAF promotes the use of alternatives to transitioning out of service (e.g., accommodations or alternative career options to influence members to remain in or return to service), not everyone contemplating release is willing to discuss and use these flexible retention options.

Using data from the 2022 Your Say Matters: Defence Team Well-Being Survey, this study examined a wide range of work and organizational factors to determine correlates of willingness to be retained, by comparing members 1) intending to stay in the CAF (stayers), 2) intending to leave the CAF but willing to discuss retention options (leavers open to retention), and 3) intending to leave the CAF but not open to discussing retention options (other leavers).

Analyses of variance revealed that leavers willing to discuss retention options reported the highest levels of job stress and role overload, the lowest levels of satisfaction with relocation and family aspects of postings, and the highest levels of work-life and life-work conflict. They also reported higher job meaning, job engagement (physical, emotional, and cognitive), and affective commitment than other leavers, and similar levels of physical and cognitive engagement as stayers.

Results suggest that leavers open to retention may more easily be swayed by retention options that specifically target their work-related issues. Retaining these individuals would be beneficial for the CAF, given their high levels of engagement and organizational commitment.