Retention bonus for Marines

[busby1971]

The assessment system is a total cockup because it relies too heavily on the narratives and they are reliant on the authors ability to use words and that spoils the promotion system.

You’re looking at it from the wrong pov, it does enough for the RAF to keep chugging along, some wrong uns go a bit to high and some good uns don’t get what they deserve, in the end most good people move up and most poor performers leave, not perfect, but they don’t expect it to be so.

 

[unruly1986]

Thing is nowadays the ones that get promoted are those that have a secondary duty / volunteer job that takes them away from their prime task.
Do the RAF want to pay these people a retention bonus or those that work to help keep the jets flying ?

That simply isn’t true. It’s about evidence that the individual cam work at the next level up.

 

[StickyFingers]

The assessment system is a total cockup because it relies too heavily on the narratives and they are reliant on the authors ability to use words and that spoils the promotion system.

You can also mess it up yourself without having to rely on your LMs basic grasp of English by being honest with your career aspirations. Writing things like: "Leave at my 22 year point" and "Not get posted" don't read very well on the board. I also find that the evidence for the compulsory objective, which is not particularly SMART, is a treat every year.

 

[unruly1986]

You can also mess it up yourself without having to rely on your LMs basic grasp of English by being honest with your career aspirations. Writing things like: "Leave at my 22 year point" and "Not get posted" don't read very well on the board. I also find that the evidence for the compulsory objective, which is not particularly SMART, is a treat every year.

To be honest it would surprise me if subjects with those sorts of aspirations made it through pre-board.

One of the problems with the promotion system is that people simply don’t understand how it works. To all intents and purposes, it is a game; you either play it and get on, or you don’t play it and stagnate. What I can say (from experience as a subject, RO and PSB member), is that everything flows from the front page. If you have punchy objectives, these carry through into your working day, meaning you either get more done, demonstrate capacity or add value to the RAF in some way. This carries through into the narratives and so on. Ultimately, 2 or 3 good years and you can get through pre-board and be in the mix.

 

[StickyFingers]

To be honest it would surprise me if subjects with those sorts of aspirations made it through pre-board.

One of the problems with the promotion system is that people simply don’t understand how it works. To all intents and purposes, it is a game; you either play it and get on, or you don’t play it and stagnate. What I can say (from experience as a subject, RO and PSB member), is that everything flows from the front page. If you have punchy objectives, these carry through into your working day, meaning you either get more done, demonstrate capacity or add value to the RAF in some way. This carries through into the narratives and so on. Ultimately, 2 or 3 good years and you can get through pre-board and be in the mix.

Exactly, some people don't have the punchy objectives because they don't want to or have been in the same rank for years, how can you continue to grow and set decent ones when you have been a SAC/Cpl/SGT for 8+ years and done everything? I can't see why doing your job and being happy where you are is so difficult to understand to some people. It is a game, and sometimes folk can't be arsed playing it. Those same people shouldn't get upset when they don't come off mind.

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

When writing assessments, it was knowing what the board needed to see to allow your good people to progress. It wasn't all about secondary duties.

Managed to get all but one of my chaps to the next rung. The one that didn't make it didn't deserve it. Explain to your chaps how to play the game and they get it. Quite a few didn't have any secondary duties but had great examples of how they'd done exceptionally well in their primary duties.

Saw a few that didn't take responsibility for their own assessments and unsurprisingly they didn't do too well on the board.

Hated writing assessments but knew how important they were so made it my mission to know as much about the system as I could to ensure my chaps and chapesses had the very best chance to progress.

 

[unruly1986]

Exactly, some people don't have the punchy objectives because they don't want to or have been in the same rank for years, how can you continue to grow and set decent ones when you have been a SAC/Cpl/SGT for 8+ years and done everything? I can't see why doing your job and being happy where you are is so difficult to understand to some people. It is a game, and sometimes folk can't be arsed playing it. Those same people shouldn't get upset when they don't come off mind.

If any of my guys had been in rank for 8 years, I’d be doing my hardest to find out why and get them on the right course. How can somebody not want to progress, when they don’t necessarily know what the next rank involves?

 

[Cooheed]

I take it you have spent hours doing summary narratives, as I have, Barch?

 

[Barch]

I take it you have spent hours doing summary narratives, as I have, Barch?

I wouldn't know.
I do know that I hated doing the narratives on the F6442.

 

[StickyFingers]

If any of my guys had been in rank for 8 years, I’d be doing my hardest to find out why and get them on the right course. How can somebody not want to progress, when they don’t necessarily know what the next rank involves?

If you have an 8 year Cpl I would like to think they know exactly what the next rank entails: SJARS, Inventories, a pay rise with a 2 year mark time and then an additional mark time due to SDRP, the uncertainty of new assignments the list goes on. Some guys just burn out and see the light at the end of the tunnel and a better life outside the RAF and start setting themselves up for that.

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

My best chat was with a WO who said to me, "only get promoted to FS (from Chief) if you absolutely want to become a WO." He hated being an FS but knew he had to go through that step to become a WO.

Didn't make the FS board after three years, wasn't that fussed on becoming a WO so did a degree course and ran away.

 

[unruly1986]

If you have an 8 year Cpl I would like to think they know exactly what the next rank entails: SJARS, Inventories, a pay rise with a 2 year mark time and then an additional mark time due to SDRP, the uncertainty of new assignments the list goes on. Some guys just burn out and see the light at the end of the tunnel and a better life outside the RAF and start setting themselves up for that.

Can relate to all of that, especially the marking time (4 years for me). I’d argue that the benefits are there to be had, especially if you get to SNCO before your 22 as the options are still there to prepare to leave. As well as the fact that there is a step change in the way you are treated which makes for a better quality of work life.

 

[StickyFingers]

Can relate to all of that, especially the marking time (4 years for me). I’d argue that the benefits are there to be had, especially if you get to SNCO before your 22 as the options are still there to prepare to leave. As well as the fact that there is a step change in the way you are treated which makes for a better quality of work life.

Way I see it every day you spend in after your 22 year point you are kinda paying the RAF to stay in. You are not collecting your pension you're not contributing towards a new one (This goes double for FTRS and their crazy pay rules). Not having a pop any anyone who chooses to stay in, its a comfortable life and I'm not against signing on if that is what is best for me and my family. As for the step change to the way you are treated, that's just disappointing and anyone who treated me different at my current rank to my next one I would discard immediately.

 

[unruly1986]

Way I see it every day you spend in after your 22 year point you are kinda paying the RAF to stay in. You are not collecting your pension you're not contributing towards a new one (This goes double for FTRS and their crazy pay rules). Not having a pop any anyone who chooses to stay in, its a comfortable life and I'm not against signing on if that is what is best for me and my family. As for the step change to the way you are treated, that's just disappointing and anyone who treated me different at my current rank to my next one I would discard immediately.

Good point ref the pay. Maintain your salary and you have free money for life. Especially if you use/invest the lump sum constructively e.g. a BTL. A couple of income streams and after a few extra years of graft you can relax.

On the treatment point I agree with you, but from my experience being a Sgt results in being treated like an adult. I make sure not to judge others by their rank.

 

[Quagmire]

Way I see it every day you spend in after your 22 year point you are kinda paying the RAF to stay in. You are not collecting your pension you're not contributing towards a new one (This goes double for FTRS and their crazy pay rules). Not having a pop any anyone who chooses to stay in, its a comfortable life and I'm not against signing on if that is what is best for me and my family. As for the step change to the way you are treated, that's just disappointing and anyone who treated me different at my current rank to my next one I would discard immediately.

There was a sizeable difference between what my pension would have been had I left at 22 years and what I got on leaving. In fact the new pay scheme meant that it increased by approx £1K a year for my last 4 years.

 

[Downsizer]

There was a sizeable difference between what my pension would have been had I left at 22 years and what I got on leaving. In fact the new pay scheme meant that it increased by approx £1K a year for my last 4 years.

I get this and I'm currently looking at those type of calcs. What I'm trying to work out is whether its better to get the pension growth of stsaying in (and it would be fairly bigger if I stay till end) vs a second pension at probably SPA from a new career.

 

[Rocket_Ronster]

I get this and I'm currently looking at those type of calcs. What I'm trying to work out is whether its better to get the pension growth of stsaying in (and it would be fairly bigger if I stay till end) vs a second pension at probably SPA from a new career.

Impossible to tell the future, previous performance is no indicator etc, etc, but the chances of a second pension being noticeably worthwhile nowadays would be very slim I'd suggest.

We've a shithot final salary scheme, there's literally billions in it, but the govt have seen it and are trying to work out how to get their mitts on it.

 

[Quagmire]

Impossible to tell the future, previous performance is no indicator etc, etc, but the chances of a second pension being noticeably worthwhile nowadays would be very slim I'd suggest.

We've a shithot final salary scheme, there's literally billions in it, but the govt have seen it and are trying to work out how to get their mitts on it.

I salary sacrifice massively into my new pension scheme rather than give it to the taxman. Current prediction is it will match my RAF pension in 15 years, which will do me nicely.

 

[Barch]

I salary sacrifice massively into my new pension scheme rather than give it to the taxman. Current prediction is it will match my RAF pension in 15 years, which will do me nicely.

What have you done to guarantee that your new pension scheme doesn't do a Maxwell or lose all its value ?

 

[Rocket_Ronster]

What have you done to guarantee that your new pension scheme doesn't do a Maxwell or lose all its value ?

Yeah, that's what I'm getting at, except in my case it won't be a midnight swimmer doing the stealing, it'll be that lovable scamp Boris.