Strengthening U.S. Air Force Human Capital Management

The USAir Force human capital management (HCM) system is not easily defined or mapped. It affects virtually every part of the Air Force because workforce policies, procedures, and processes impact all offices and organizations that include Airmen and responsibilities and relationships change regularly. To ensure the readiness of Airmen to fulfill the mission of the Air Force, strategic approaches are developed and issued through guidance and actions of the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Strengthening US Air Force Human Capital Management assesses and strengthens the various U.S. Air Force initiatives and programs working to improve person-job match and human capital management in coordinated support of optimal mission capability. This report considers the opportunities and challenges associated with related interests and needs across the USAF HCM system as a whole, and makes recommendations to inform improvements to USAF personnel selection and classification and other critical system components across career trajectories. Strengthening US Air Force Human Capital Management offers the Air Force a strategic approach, across a connected HCM system, to develop 21st century human capital capabilities essential for the success of 21st century Airmen. Table of Contents Front Matter Executive Summary 1 Introduction 2 Overview of USAF Human Capital Management 3 Effective Human Capital Management Systems 4 Entry Point Decisions for Air Force Accessions: Recruiting, Selection, and Classification 5 Force Development, Utilization, and Retention 6 Strengthening USAF Human Capital Management: A Flight Plan for 20202030 Appendix A: Key Points from Strategic Guidance and Previous Studies Appendix B: Using the USAF Human Capital Ecosystem Model to Reveal Consequences of Changes Appendix C: U.S. Air Force Workforce Data Appendix D: Preference-Informed Matching in Job Assignment Appendix E: U.S. Air Force Competencies Appendix F: Sample Career Field Education and Training Plans Appendix G: Data-Gathering Sessions Appendix H: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff Appendix I: Acronyms and Abbreviations