Recruiting and Retention Project

[Okayish Aviator]

Hello All,

I'm working on a little project and I'd like your help. I have two questions, I'd like for you to answer honestly, but please do not give out personal details about the situation that may cause others to know who you may be talking about. As always, thanks for the help.

My questions focus around specific reasons why people join and leave CAP.

What is a reason you or someone else has given you for why you joined CAP?
What is a reason you or someone else has told you why they left CAP?

[Eclipse]

What is a reason you or someone else has given you for why you joined CAP?

Do something out of the ordinary.

Be part of something bigger then myself, team spirit, military mindset, etc.

Fly, learn to fly, or be involved in aviation.

Help my community - ES / DR.

Help mentor young people - cadet program.

What is a reason you or someone else has told you why they left CAP?

Too much hassle for too little return.

Never get to do "x" (above list).

Promised something that I never got / can't ever get / doesn't work like I was told.

Too much administrative overhead.

Too complicated / confusing.

No training but held to unpublished standard.

Gotcha mentality instead of mentoring.

Interestingly, the one thing I have never personally heard is "too expensive", from cadets or seniors.

[etodd]

Eclipse gave a really good response.

I would just add that I also joined EAA to fly Young Eagles, with an emphasis on introducing them to CAP. Both organizations can work together well to get young people interested in aviation.

As for the negative ... I know someone who was a very productive member, but left because a few military wannabes whose focus was misplaced ... ran him off.

[Briank]

Primarily I joined CAP to stay involved in aviation after leaving the local flying club because it was too expensive for the amount of use I was getting out of the planes.  I also like the other things CAP does and I do have the interest in helping others, but those could already be done within my local ARES group without me having to buy a uniform or pay dues.

I know a couple people that *almost* left, but renewed at the last minute this year.  The reasoning was that they were not getting anything out of it.  The biggest complaint I've heard from others that threaten (but don't really seem as serious about) quitting is the paperwork.  I can totally get that.  I have about 2 hours free in the evening.  When I was in the flying club, that was enough time to get in a 1 hour flight.  In CAP with all the paperwork, I have enough time to do everything *except* the actual flight...  So, those quick after work currency flights won't happen with CAP.

I've never heard that CAP is "too expensive".  It's ridiculously inexpensive.  I have heard "why should I pay for it if I don't get to do anything", but that's a different matter.  The dues are comparable to the typical clubs with magazines that many people belong to.  The uniform requirements are pretty inexpensive compared to gear you'd buy for any hobby that you'd fill the time with.  The flight rates are very reasonable (if you can overcome the paperwork hurdles and also manage to get your hands on an airplane).

[etodd]

The biggest complaint I've heard from others that threaten (but don't really seem as serious about) quitting is the paperwork.  I can totally get that.  I have about 2 hours free in the evening.  When I was in the flying club, that was enough time to get in a 1 hour flight.  In CAP with all the paperwork, I have enough time to do everything *except* the actual flight...  So, those quick after work currency flights won't happen with CAP.

I've gotten good at streamlining that. I'll enter a sortie in WMIRS either days in advance on my computer or even same day on my iPhone. 60 seconds and I'm done.  After flying it only takes a minute to fill in the name/hobbs/tach/etc in the plane logbook.  Then I've been known to use the "Sortie Quick Close" in WMIRS on my phone while sitting at a red light on the way home.

When I fly rentals I'm usually spending more time than all that .... gabbing with the FBO folks. The CAP plane is at its own hangar, so I button it up and just leave.

.

[TheSkyHornet]

My reason for joining:
It was my way of "giving back" to my community in an alternative career to a short-lived military service. My medical status no longer permitted me to stay in. CAP was the "next best thing" for me.

My reason for staying in:
I love what I do. It's a lot of work, but I really like the Cadet Program aspect. CAP has a lot of great opportunities for nearly everyone throughout the organization, but the leadership training is my forte, and I find it a different challenge everyday as cadets progress and mature. It's not easy, but I'm hooked.

That being said, I do have some issues with certain things that have gotten me close to leaving at times. There are just way too many people in command positions that have no clue what they're doing. I know, that's common griping from the lower echelon. But some people are in just their first or second year of CAP when they become squadron commanders. Some have perhaps worked their way up to 1st Lt or Capt but never did much beyond the scope of the arm chair, and they can't handle the planning side. Then you have the play military crowd that like the command feel just a bit too much and it goes to their head. It's very frustrating when trying to run a training program, especially a youth program. But CAP, to me, from a Cadet Program standpoint, isn't an activity corps. It's a youth leadership program in which we provide activities that enhance knowledge, skill, and experience so that they can advance and bring up someone else who comes after them along the way. I guess I just have some serious creative differences with some folks on that subject.

(I have to separate the recruiting and retention into Seniors vs Cadets since they are very different crowds)

Why seniors tell me they joined:
Some want to fly. Some want to get involved in a program with their kids. Some want a hobby. Seniors are so scattered in what they want to do, it's very hard to pinpoint an overall reason. I would suggest focusing on what your unit excels at and marketing that. If you get interest from a straggler or two who want to get involved in CAP but it's outside what your unit does (like having an aircraft), talk to them about what your unit can offer outside of their expressed interests but don't be afraid to suggest that maybe another squadron is a better suit. I find no squadron can do everything, but you can do really well if you focus on your quality points.

Why seniors tell me they left or want to leave:
Again, creative differences. There's always the whiny crowd. But then there are the people who have some serious talent and experience they can bring to CAP but they feel it's often the Good Ole Boys Club. It's very political, and more often than not, the political crowd can be somewhat clueless, at least from the view we have at the bottom of the totem. Way too much "I want CAP to be this way" and not talking to the lower levels to see how we can make due of that vision with the resources we have plus our ideas to make it happen.


Why cadets tell me they joined:
Most of them wanted to get involved in a fun opportunity where they could make friends and learn a skill. A lot want to go into the military, but let's be honest---at 14, they might not really understand that. Field training, flying, and the wear of the uniform are the big three. Whether or not I agree with them as "reasons to join" are moot. That's the overall feedback I get. (Our recruiting process includes a questionnaire as to what interests people have when they first inquired for information)

Why cadets tell me they left or want to leave:
The Cadet Program isn't what they were marketed. Many joined because they want to become pilots. Unit needs to stop trying to convince cadets that they're going to learn how to fly in CAP. It's unrealistic. Some joined because they see pictures of hiking, rock climbing, the "adventure stuff." A lad from another unit just told me yesterday that he felt like it was going to be much more gung-ho Ranger school than doing drill in the parking lot twice a month and sitting in PowerPoint presentations every other week. The activities are often immature for the age group, which is tough because of the 12-18 span (HUGE difference). The lessons are boring. And classes are often non-productive/non-progressive in their advancement.

My overall advice for recruiting cadets:
Again, focus on what your unit does, not what CAP does. Talk about the opportunities they can have in the distant future as they progress, but let them understand what the first few months will be like. Be honest. Make sure you tell them that it's meant to be fun, but it's also challenging, and there will be times when it isn't so fun but it's part of the training. And do not forget to share your expectations of the cadets---emails, testing, attendance, grooming, etc.

I'd rather have 4 new cadets that I know are going to make it than 20 cadets and 16 of them are going to require extra attention and don't stay in after 6-12 months anyway. Don't give yourself extra work by recruiting for numbers. It'll only make you more frustrated and the cadets more frustrated.

[etodd]

My reason for joining:
It was my way of "giving back" to my community in an alternative career to a short-lived military service. My medical status no longer permitted me to stay in. CAP was the "next best thing" for me.

My reason for staying in:
I love what I do. It's a lot of work, but I really like the Cadet Program aspect. CAP has a lot of great opportunities for nearly everyone throughout the organization, but the leadership training is my forte, and I find it a different challenge everyday as cadets progress and mature. It's not easy, but I'm hooked.

That being said, I do have some issues with certain things that have gotten me close to leaving at times. There are just way too many people in command positions that have no clue what they're doing. I know, that's common griping from the lower echelon. But some people are in just their first or second year of CAP when they become squadron commanders. Some have perhaps worked their way up to 1st Lt or Capt but never did much beyond the scope of the arm chair, and they can't handle the planning side. Then you have the play military crowd that like the command feel just a bit too much and it goes to their head. It's very frustrating when trying to run a training program, especially a youth program. But CAP, to me, from a Cadet Program standpoint, isn't an activity corps. It's a youth leadership program in which we provide activities that enhance knowledge, skill, and experience so that they can advance and bring up someone else who comes after them along the way. I guess I just have some serious creative differences with some folks on that subject.

(I have to separate the recruiting and retention into Seniors vs Cadets since they are very different crowds)

Why seniors tell me they joined:
Some want to fly. Some want to get involved in a program with their kids. Some want a hobby. Seniors are so scattered in what they want to do, it's very hard to pinpoint an overall reason. I would suggest focusing on what your unit excels at and marketing that. If you get interest from a straggler or two who want to get involved in CAP but it's outside what your unit does (like having an aircraft), talk to them about what your unit can offer outside of their expressed interests but don't be afraid to suggest that maybe another squadron is a better suit. I find no squadron can do everything, but you can do really well if you focus on your quality points.

Why seniors tell me they left or want to leave:
Again, creative differences. There's always the whiny crowd. But then there are the people who have some serious talent and experience they can bring to CAP but they feel it's often the Good Ole Boys Club. It's very political, and more often than not, the political crowd can be somewhat clueless, at least from the view we have at the bottom of the totem. Way too much "I want CAP to be this way" and not talking to the lower levels to see how we can make due of that vision with the resources we have plus our ideas to make it happen.


Why cadets tell me they joined:
Most of them wanted to get involved in a fun opportunity where they could make friends and learn a skill. A lot want to go into the military, but let's be honest---at 14, they might not really understand that. Field training, flying, and the wear of the uniform are the big three. Whether or not I agree with them as "reasons to join" are moot. That's the overall feedback I get. (Our recruiting process includes a questionnaire as to what interests people have when they first inquired for information)

Why cadets tell me they left or want to leave:
The Cadet Program isn't what they were marketed. Many joined because they want to become pilots. Unit needs to stop trying to convince cadets that they're going to learn how to fly in CAP. It's unrealistic. Some joined because they see pictures of hiking, rock climbing, the "adventure stuff." A lad from another unit just told me yesterday that he felt like it was going to be much more gung-ho Ranger school than doing drill in the parking lot twice a month and sitting in PowerPoint presentations every other week. The activities are often immature for the age group, which is tough because of the 12-18 span (HUGE difference). The lessons are boring. And classes are often non-productive/non-progressive in their advancement.

My overall advice for recruiting cadets:
Again, focus on what your unit does, not what CAP does. Talk about the opportunities they can have in the distant future as they progress, but let them understand what the first few months will be like. Be honest. Make sure you tell them that it's meant to be fun, but it's also challenging, and there will be times when it isn't so fun but it's part of the training. And do not forget to share your expectations of the cadets---emails, testing, attendance, grooming, etc.

I'd rather have 4 new cadets that I know are going to make it than 20 cadets and 16 of them are going to require extra attention and don't stay in after 6-12 months anyway. Don't give yourself extra work by recruiting for numbers. It'll only make you more frustrated and the cadets more frustrated.

A really open and honest post that reflects so much on the good and the not so good I've noticed in my short time here at CAP. You certainly hit the nail on the head in so many aspects.

Much of the reason I joined was also because I know a few young folks that I felt could benefit from CAP. And I'm still finding more. But as you say, the marketing materials, brochures, videos and more make it look a lot more exciting than the typical months where you simply have PT one week, drill the next week and then a couple weeks of power points ... repeat next month. We have some good folks in our Squadron who are trying to bring in a special program at least once a month to help keep the interest up.