Personnel system needs to be flexible, faster

WASHINGTON - "The Army's personnel system must become more flexible, adaptable, and significantly faster to prepare for future conflicts," said Lt. Gen. Brian Eifler, deputy chief of staff, G-1, Pentagon, during an Association of the United States Army panel July 24.

Personnel management is interconnected within every facet of the Army's continuous transformation initiatives, from structural changes and talent development to career paths that incorporate cutting-edge technology.

"Everything we do affects personnel," he stated, emphasizing the need for continuous improvement to support Soldiers. "Soldiers are counting on us; we have to work harder for them. In the personnel world, we exist to provide an army ready to fight and win our nation's wars. Our Soldiers always come first."

The general highlighted the sluggishness of legacy human resource processes, advocating for streamlined systems that free Soldiers from administrative burdens, allowing them to focus on training and warfighting preparation.

Artificial intelligence, he noted, is already proving valuable for speeding up processes. Machine learning is streamlining promotion board paperwork, reducing the time senior leaders previously dedicated to this task. The Army is also exploring the use of generative AI to consolidate regulations, policies, and resources, offering a more efficient alternative to traditional methods.

Modernization efforts extend beyond administrative tasks. Eifler emphasized the need for a complete overhaul of the civilian personnel system.

"We lose a lot of great talent because of how long the hiring process takes," he said, emphasizing the crucial role of the Army's more than 250,000 civilians, including those in expeditionary assignments. "Civilians are an essential part of the mission."

The Army is balancing the readiness of the force with retention by allowing officers to voluntarily transfer between branches to fit the needs of the Army while reducing excessive relocations. This improves quality of life by keeping families in one location longer during children's school cycles.

Praising the Army's NCO corps as a unique and valuable asset, Eifler stressed the importance of investing in their development by providing resources and tools for improvement.

"We joined to put ourselves second and our nation first," he said. "We need to be transparent, so the Soldiers know what the Army has to offer."

How the Army leads is not common, but unique across the world, Eifler said.

"Our NCO corps is amazing. It's often imitated but never duplicated," he said. "It's an investment. You add value to them. You have a responsibility to give them the resources and tools, so they get better. If you're doing that as a leader, you're going to make your organization better."

"I still think the Army is one of the greatest places, where you can start with nothing, end up with a profession, in a career, earn a college education, and get a start on life," Eifler said. "It will make you a better person. It motivates and inspires the next generation. For those of us still wearing the uniform, we need to remember why we're here. We've got to put ourselves second, and our nation first. Someone's got to answer the call. We don't make the decision to fight, but we will be ready.

"Whether it's personal training, technical competence, learning, growing, becoming a better person, being a better leader and a better Soldier, we've all got to strive for it every day," he said.