Amid a nationwide lag in military recruitment, the Connecticut National Guard has announced an incentive program that will reward members with $500 for referring new recruits.
The Joint Enlistment Enhancement Program encourages retired and active members of the National Guard to help recruit new members and prepare them for basic training.
“Right now, the labor market is pretty hot," said Maj. David Pytlik, spokesperson for the Connecticut National Guard. "Everybody's competing for the best talent, and that includes us. So we decided to get a little bit creative and we felt like incentivizing our members and former members was the way to do that.”
The Connecticut National Guard joins other states like Virginia and Vermont that have set up their own referral programs.
The referring member will receive their $500 finder’s fee after the candidate enlists.
Like many other states, the Connecticut National Guard missed its recruiting goal last year. But Pytlik said retention numbers have been stable.
"When people are in, they generally want to stay in — that seems to be the overall trend," Pytlik said.
He said the incentive program will help spread the word about benefits Guard members can receive, like tuition assistance, low-cost health insurance and financial bonuses.
