The Army is developing a data-rich, information age
approach to how it acquires, develops, employs,
and retains the right talent.
By better understanding the talent of our workforce
and the talent needed for unit requirements,
the Army can deliver the right person
to the right assignment at the right time over time,
effectively winning the war for talent.
By now, you've likely learned that talent
is the unique intersection of Knowledge, Skills, Behaviors,
and Preferences, or KSBPs, in every soldier,
and you've probably heard about the Army Talent Alignment
Process, or ATAP, a decentralized, regulated,
market-style hiring system that aligns officers
with jobs based on preferences.
In ATAP, officers are matched to available assignments
based solely on their preferences and those
of the unit.
Now, remember, officers' preferences
are shaped by their unique knowledge, skills,
and behaviors.
A computer algorithm optimizes preferences
in the Assignment Interactive Module 2.0, or AIM2.
The Army calls the newly-minted algorithm
the Army Talent Alignment Algorithm, or ATAA,
and uses it to match soldiers to their most
preferred assignment.
The algorithm is soldier-driven, meaning it initiates
assignments based on the soldier's preferences first
and then the unit's.
For a match to occur, both the soldier and the unit
must rank each other.
There is an expectation that soldiers and units
will interact with each other through interviews
and correspondence, while the market is open.
Once started, the algorithm attempts to match officers
to their first choice.
If that is not possible, the algorithm
attempts to match the soldier to the second choice
and so on, until the officer is matched,
or all choices are exhausted.
When making assignment matches, the Army
has to consider several factors.
The Exceptional Family Member Program, or EFMP,
and the Married Army Couples Program, or MACP,
are two areas that can influence an assignment match.
An extended market window and gives
officers with those considerations the opportunity
to rank their preferred list when the market opens
and receive feedback from HRC within 30 days,
if their selections are compatible.
In this example, Captain Madison has ranked every available unit
for assignment.
The EFMP office informed her at Fort Riley, Kansas,
does not offer the medical support
required under her EFMP.
Therefore, both units and 1st Infantry Division
are removed from her list.
She then reorders her preferences
to account for the EFMP feedback.
Let's see how it works.
Six military intelligence officers and six brigades
have submitted preference lists.
Each unit has one opening for a military intelligence captain.
Officers must preference all available assignments.
Starting with Captain Arthur, we see
he preferred only 1st Cavalry Division brigades,
despite the instruction to rank all available assignments.
Because the algorithm is soldier-driven,
it will attempt to match Captain Arthur
to the 1st Brigade, 1st Cav.
1st Brigade, 1st Cav has ranked Captain Arthur 3rd,
and because there are no other tentative matches for 1st
Brigade, Captain Arthur is tentatively matched
to 1st Brigade, 1st Cav.
Matches are considered tentative,
because a soldier who is matched to a unit
at one point in the matching process
may be removed from the unit later
to make space for a soldier who is more preferred by the unit.
Next is Captain Grant.
She rank 3rd Brigade, 1st Cav first,
and the algorithm attempts to match her there.
3rd Brigade, 1st Cav ranked Captain Grant second,
and because there are no other matches ranked higher,
Captain Grant has tentatively matched.
Captain Washington ranked 1st Brigade, 1st Cap first.
The algorithm attempts to match Captain Washington.
1st Brigade, 1st Cav is tentatively
matched with Captain Arthur, but they more prefer
Captain Washington.
Captain Washington is tentatively matched,
and Captain Arthur is removed as the less preferred.
Captain Arthur is now attempted to match
with the second choice, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cav.
Captain Arthur is the third preferred officer
with Gray Wolf Brigade, and they are
matched with Captain Grant as a more preferred match.
The algorithm would continue to move down
Captain Arthur's preferences, but he failed
to rank all available units.
So the algorithm moves to the next available officer.
Captain Madison's first preference
is 2nd Brigade, 82nd.
The Falcon Brigade did not preference Captain Madison,
so she cannot be matched there.
Captain Madison's second preference
is 1st Brigade, 82nd, and she is tentatively matched.
Let's watch the algorithm match Captain Fillmore.
Captain Fillmore has ranked 3rd Brigade,
1st Cav as his first choice.
3rd Brigade has him listed as fourth
and is already matched to a more preferred officer.
The algorithm attempts to match Captain Fillmore
to his second choice with Iron Horse Brigade, where
he is their first preference.
He is tentatively matched at 1st Brigade, 1st Cav.
However, with each brigade only receiving one officer,
this means that Captain Washington is no longer
matched with Iron Horse.
And the algorithm must move to his next preference
which is 3rd Brigade, 1st Cav.
Captain Washington is the fifth preference to Gray Wolf
Brigade, and they are already matched with a more preferred
officer.
So Captain Washington must move to his third preference
at 2nd Brigade, 1st ID.
There, he is the second preference,
and with no other higher preference,
he is tentatively matched.
Finally, the algorithm attempts to match Captain Pierce.
Captain Pierce has ranked 2nd Brigade, 82nd first,
and with no higher preference match,
he is tentatively matched with Falcon Brigade.
All units and officers have been matched within the preferences
they have listed.
Captain Arthur has yet to be matched,
and 1st Brigade, 1st ID has not received
a match for their vacancy.
By not preferencing any available officers, 1st
Brigade, 1st ID will be matched with any officer remaining.
In this scenario, Captain Arthur also
failed to list all available units,
and with all units and officers receiving a match,
he is then matched to 1st Brigade, 1st ID.
The algorithm is now complete, and the matches are final.
All soldiers have matched to their most preferred
choice possible.
Each officer was matched to an average of their second choice,
and units were matched to an average
between their second and third choice.
Captain Arthur took a real risk by ranking only 1st Cavalry
Division.
Data demonstrates that soldiers with short lists
have a higher likelihood of being unmatched and possibly
receiving an assignment to a lesser-desired duty station.
Also, by failing to rank preference
any of the available officers, 1st Brigade,
1st ID essentially forfeited their vote
on who they receive to fill that assignment.
Unit involvement in preferencing of personnel
is critical to the overall success of the algorithm.
Remember, a match commitment is binding.
This means, a soldier can expect to receive a request for orders
when a match occurs.
To learn more, visit talent.army.mil.