“It’s not about the money.”
In exit interviews, Guard members repeatedly said the compensation wasn’t driving their choice to leave. But what was? Leadership in Utah’s National Guard could clearly see retention dropping, but only had a scattered picture of what was driving that attrition. They came to Utah’s Customer Experience team with the idea of a cohesive survey. With a little more than a year of collaboration and support, Utah’s Army National Guard’s retention numbers are already improving, with an end strength of 102.7% as of December 2024.
From whiteboards to a member-centric control center
Like the nation as a whole, Utah’s National Guard has struggled to maintain its member population. In the context of stagnating population growth and a competitive job market, the Department of Defense missed its recruiting goal by 25% in 2022. Recruiters in Utah knew money wasn’t the only factor, but didn’t have a clear picture of what was influencing Guard members’ decision to leave. They had a scattered selection of surveys, covering different groups and questions, and relied on whiteboards to gather and analyze results.
We collaborated with their recruiting team to bring the surveys together, simplify the questions, and ensure every guard member is surveyed. Members take the survey every year during their annual Solider Readiness Program event (SRP). Administrators can view, slice, and filter responses in a single dashboard. Over the years, the Guard will be able to track each member’s stance toward different subjects throughout their careers and see trends in Utah’s whole force. This comprehensive SRP data accumulates into a clear picture of when members’ attitudes change and which attitudes foreshadow attrition.
We also built a dashboard that administrators use to slice and dice the data. They use it to find trends across the entire member population, find individual pockets of dissatisfaction, and can dig into any segment (e.g. members of a particular major subordinate command, in their 12th year of service, or status within the guard, etc.) for more detail.
Focus on awareness and access to benefits
Even in the first year, the new survey and dashboard yielded useful insights, and the guard has already begun to take action. First, Guard members aren’t fully aware of the benefits they have earned. Second, sifting through and claiming benefits can be so complicated it’s sometimes not worth the effort.
Guard members weren’t fully aware of the benefits they had earned. At the time, the Utah National Guard website was described by most as “terrible.” Benefit information was released periodically in mandatory briefings. For example, when the guard moved to the Blended Retirement System (BRS), briefings for all members were held once in 2018 and never revisited. Anecdotally, this led to some members not receiving a continuation bonus they were eligible for.
Often, spouses empower members to take advantage of benefits, but information has always been funneled through the member first. In our first annual survey, 30% of married members asked to have benefit information forwarded directly to their spouses.
Using benefits was so complicated, it wasn’t worth the effort.
Even when members are aware, in some cases, claiming benefits was such a complicated process that members say it’s not worth the effort. When we began work last year, there were 13 different education benefits guard members might take advantage of. Most guard members are eligible for some kind of benefit, but it was hard to know which. Each had complex rules described in painstaking detail on the websites of multiple different entities.
Applications for the State Tuition Assistance (STA) program were handled completely over email. With multiple individuals involved in the process, it was a tracking nightmare.
Utah’s Customer Experience team began collaborating with the guard to develop an education navigator. We built and rebuilt the decision flowchart that defined the tool’s logic. Honestly, we struggled to make a clear, simple flowchart to assess members’ eligibility. Our struggle was an insight of its own. Every guard member who wanted to pursue higher education also had to take on this administrative burden. The navigator we envisioned felt like slapping a band-aid on a much bigger problem.
Decentralizing benefits information from sporadic briefings and member-only tools
As the Guard began to understand the depth of these issues, a concerted effort began to untangle the complexities surrounding benefits access. This wasn’t a quick fix, but rather a sustained commitment to improvement. They began by decentralizing benefit information, moving away from outdated and inaccessible methods. Simultaneously, they began the process of simplifying the confusing rules surrounding state benefits. Recognizing the need for greater integration, they also embarked on the complex undertaking of creating a unified application process for both state and federal education benefits, a project that remains a key focus of their ongoing work.
Revamping the Website: The Utah National Guard website underwent a complete overhaul to become a central hub for all benefit information, particularly concerning education. The new site features a dedicated education section, listing key benefits with concise descriptions to help members quickly determine their eligibility. This centralized approach replaced the previous system of scattered briefings and internal-only resources, making information readily accessible to all members, including families and retirees. The website also incorporates feedback mechanisms and website analytics to track user engagement and inform ongoing development, ensuring the site remains user-friendly and relevant.
Spouse Communication System: Recognizing the significant role spouses play in supporting service members, a new system was implemented to directly communicate benefit information to spouses. Previously, information was primarily channeled through the service member, potentially creating a bottleneck. By creating a system to email spouses directly about available benefits, the Guard aimed to increase awareness and utilization of these resources. This direct communication empowers spouses to actively participate in the benefit navigation process, ensuring families have a comprehensive understanding of the support available to them.
Simplifying Benefit Rules: Rather than guiding people through the tangled requirements dictating who qualifies for state benefits, the guard simplified its rules. Most importantly, the new system no longer discriminates based on which school a member attends. The simplified system creates a clear path for members to access benefits. Members should first seek a federal benefit, then state tuition waiver if they are full-time guardsmen, and finally state tuition assistance. Additionally, the Guard identified special funds to cover testing and certification costs for members seeking additional credentials beyond their formal education.
Building a unified application: Building a unified application process for education benefits was a major undertaking. Previously, Guard members emailed individual program managers with different forms based on their situation, placing the burden of determining eligibility and choosing the right form on the member. This led to inconsistent service and increased administrative overhead. The new system uses a single, comprehensive application for all education benefits. By completing this form, members not only initiate their request but also receive guidance from the Guard on their eligibility, removing the burden of self-assessment. This unified client relationship management system also streamlines the process of initiating requests with federal administrations.
These efforts, paired with the financial bonuses the legislature approved in 2024, are already impacting the Guard’s membership. In Dec 2024, Utah’s Army National Guard ranked 8th among the 54 U.S. states and territories in the Strength Health Index Ranking. It also showed an end strength of 102.84%, which means it has 6,005 members for 5,839 positions. Both of these indicators signal Utah’s multi-facetted efforts to improve retention are working.
For Guard members, prior to these changes, navigating the complexities of military benefits was a frustrating and time-consuming ordeal. They had to decipher eligibility requirements across multiple programs, fill numerous forms, and track down information from various sources—all while fulfilling their duties. However, through this focused initiative to improve benefits access, the Utah National Guard is transforming the experience. Those who serve our country deserve a seamless and supportive experience, one that honors their commitment and sacrifice. This shift will allow members to easily access the support they’ve earned, fostering a greater sense of value and hopefully contributing to increased recruiting and retention within the Guard.