The Canadian Armed Forces is revamping its recruitment processes in a bid to bolster enlistments and modernize its approach to attracting new members.
The initiative comes amid ongoing challenges in military recruitment and retention. The federal government says its aim is to expand the regular, non-reserve force to 71,500 personnel by 2032, up from about 65,000 today.
“Our success starts with a recruitment system that is strong, one that attracts top talent, highlights the unique benefits of military service, and quickly selects and enrolls new recruits,” Lt.-Gen. Lise Bourgon said at a Feb. 19 press conference.
“Right now, our recruiting system is not as agile as it needs to be. We were still recruiting the same way we did in the ‘80s and the ‘90s, and it’s not working anymore, not with today’s Canadian.”
The recruitment overhaul includes several major changes.
One of the most significant changes is the introduction of a probationary period, enabling recruits to begin training before they have received full security clearance.
Under the new system, which was introduced in December, applicants receive a temporary “reliability security status” upon enrolment, granting them conditional entry into the military.
“During this probationary period, applicants must pass the required security clearance check, meet medical standards and show that they live by the Canadian Armed Forces ethos and values,” said Bourgon.
Those who do not meet these requirements are released immediately. “It means a faster in, but also a faster out,” she said.
Holistic admissions
Another major change includes replacing a decades-old aptitude test with a broader, holistic assessment.
The new Scored Employment Application Form assesses applicants based on their education, leadership experience, work history and other life achievements.
The move reflects the Forces’ attempt to align recruitment with modern employment trends, which emphasize skills and lived experience rather than standardized test performance. It also aims to widen the pool of eligible applicants.
“The implementation of the SEAF assessment tool provides a faster path to enrolment,” the military said in a Feb. 19 press release. It added that the change would improve applicant experience and ensure recruits embody the principles of military service.
The military is also updating medical enrolment standards to ensure all individuals who are deemed medically capable of attempting basic training can do so.
Previously, there have been just two classes of recruits, fit and unfit, Maj.-Gen. Scott Malcolm explained at the press conference. The military has now created a third class, called Fit to the Task, to enable individuals with “limitations [that] do not represent a medical contraindication to attend basic training.” Malcolm cited conditions such as ADHD, asthma and anxiety as examples of such limitations.
Diversity push
Another important shift is the military’s push to increase the diversity of its personnel.
Currently, 26 per cent of newly enrolled CAF members identify as racialized Canadians, 18 per cent are women and five per cent identify as Indigenous, says Bourgon. In 2021 census data, 24 per cent of Canadians identified as racialized Canadians and five per cent identified as Indigenous.
Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of the defence staff, said she wants the military to look different in the future than it does today. “We want to aim at increasing the number of women because women represent 50 per cent of the population of Canadians,” said Carignan, who is the first woman to lead Canada’s military.
The military is also seeking to diversify by pushing for more permanent residents to enroll.
Until recently, recruits needed to be Canadian citizens to serve. In November 2022, Ottawa overturned that rule. But simply opening the door to permanent residents did not move the dial.
Between November 2022 and October 2024, the military enrolled just 128 permanent residents, Commodore Pascal Belhumeur said at the press conference.
“Implementing this policy change was not enough,” he said. “To access this talent, we needed to make changes to our processes as well as work closely with other government departments, like Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada, to assess whether information gathered by IRCC can help facilitate the recruitment of permanent residents.”
In 2022, when the military dropped the citizenship requirement, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada noted that permanent residents are already able to work in other industries, and that many of them may become citizens in the future.
“Many of these future citizens already work in key sectors across Canada,” said former immigration minister Sean Fraser in a December 2022 press release.
“I am pleased that they will now have the opportunity to make an extraordinary contribution to Canada by choosing a career in service of the country they now call home.”
I served in the military and my 18 year old who is Dedicated to joining started in December’s his recruiters have been fabulous. That’s said, he’s still waiting for Basic. In the 90s, I was already through basic in the sleep time, if the military wants people, they can’t expect applicants to wait around three months to wait for a job. My son saved enough and works other places to compensate but the armed forces is crying for personnel and can’t process them efficiently despite knowledgeable and competent recruitment staff.
I tell my son, it’s a good thing we are not at war
Because it would be over by the time you were given army boots
Unfortunately, I recommended two young brilliant persons to join our forces. This process started then came to a ” we will get back to you “. As of one young ladies experience it has been 17 months without a email….? One young fellow is now given up and headed back to college for logistics career. I attended the recruitment office in Edmonton and there seems to be a lot of people working there. ?????
I want to Come a military
If really Canada’s military has to increase, it should be for citizens,PR and others who are legal here. Limiting it to just two groups doesn’t make sense. How many Canadians are willing to join? Just base your recruitment to be all inclusive under certain conditions.my humble opinion
If really Canada’s military has to increase, it should be for citizens,PR and others who are legal here. Limiting it to just two groups doesn’t make sense. How many Canadians are willing to join? Just base your recruitment to be all inclusive under certain conditions. In fact this change has popped up just because of the recent American threats. So my beloved New Land (Canada) doesn’t prepare ahead of time. So your security is dependent on another country? In everything I’ve realised here for the past 3 weeks in this area, we are really joking like some African nations.my humble opinion
Why judge people on their financial situation when many of your top representative’s have been found out for their racial and sexual bias and abuse. It’s ridiculous. But I guess y’all ain’t that desperate.