Page 47 - Signal Summer 2019

Lt LoL (RDF) Peter Keenan, Lt Col Sean Flynn and Comdt Declan Sheridan (DCO 28 Inf Bn)
Comdt Sheridan reading the 1916 proclamation during commemorations of the Rising.
Was there a defining issue that led to this decision?
I must make it very clear that I place huge value on my service in the military and still carry a deep attachment to the organisation. This made the decision to leave even more difficult. However, the realisation that continuing to serve in the Defence Forces would mean being away from home for well over half of the time remaining to retirement expedited my decision to leave. I really believe that the reorganisation of the DF in 2012 has made it almost impossible for any personnel based in the North West region to consider making a career out of the Defence Forces.
What would it have taken for you to stay and would you have been happy to do so?
So much uncertainty had crept into the organisation regarding Officer movements and it was difficult to predict even short-term movements of just a month or two ahead let alone anything medium to long term. If the organisation could have given some assurances that I would spend 5 out of the next 10 years in Finner Camp or even another single location, I believe I would have stayed. No such assurances could be provided, and it is that uncertainty and inability to plan long term that is leading to many of my colleagues leaving the DF.
In your opinion, is the HR structure in the DF fit for purpose as it currently stands?
The DOD is responsible for strategic HR within the Defence Forces and it is evident there isn’t a clear strategy to manage and
| RETENTION |
retain talent in the organisation. This is one of the core principles of a healthy and successful organisation. The Department’s hold on control coupled with a lack of military experience and knowledge of what it takes to attract, train and retain military personnel has significantly stifled any attempts to keep our talent and maintain the mandated strength of the organisation.
What are your thoughts on the reorganisation of the DF and the current organisational structures?
It appears to me that the reorganisation was done on political lines, with no clear strategic outlook or military input. We are now seeing the impact of this with the current dysfunctional turnover of key personnel, and the inability to maintain adequate numbers of middle management at Officer and NCO levels.
Did that have an impact on your decision to stay/go?
The direction the Defence Forces was being pushed in had become a source of disappointment and there weren’t any real signs of that changing. I see now in my new organisation the benefits of having a full complement of trained staff, and what an organisation can achieve when its people are valued and well treated. This has sadly not been the case in the DF for many years. If I think back to my time in operational units, I can recall many times where we were expected to run an operational Infantry Battalion with 20% of our officers and 35% of our NCOs. This lack of management meant that it wasn’t possible to properly mentor and supervise our people and led to increased stress and a lack of job satisfaction. This resulted in a constant fear that balls would be dropped, and we were constantly ‘firefighting’, with nowhere near enough resources to properly carry out our assigned roles. I am also surprised that the findings of the UL Climate Survey Focus Group have still not been acted on. This demonstrates a lack of urgency and understanding for the reality of the situation on the ground from the Department of Defence and is tantamount to a lack of respect towards employees.
If you could draw up a brief wishlist to remedy or improve the HR process within the DF-what would some of the main points be?
Implementation of a robust retention strategy recognising, and fairly rewarding DF personnel would be a positive first step. This must be the priority. There have been recruitment campaigns in recent years, but this is just papering over the symptoms rather than the root cause of the problem. It is disappointing that for decades the reward and recognition for members has been eroded and is behind all other public-sector bodies while the job demands and movements of Officers throughout the country and abroad continues to escalate to fill the gaps. Provision of a fair and reasonable reward system in tandem with a healthy work life balance would be a significant stepping stone in the right direction for maintaining key talent.
Military Management and the Department need to meaningfully engage with the Representative Associations and work collaboratively to positively affect the working lives of DF personnel. Presently, it would appear that the loyalty of DF personnel is being taken for granted by the government and Department, who know that DF personnel cannot and will not strike, and I think that advantage is being taken of this.
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