Page 101 - navstrat

NAVSTRAT-2030

A Holistic Approach to Talent Retention Policy in the SLN

The decline in the quality of life among naval personnel has become evident, primarily attributed
to alarming economic indicators such as cost of living, inflation and tax policies in the country.
Notably, salaries, allowances and overall benefits for naval personnel have become outdated.
Furthermore, this discrepancy has led to a situation where individuals with similar educational
backgrounds outside the military enjoy greater earning power and personal freedom. The economic
crisis has further exacerbated the decline in the quality of life, resulting in a notable increase in the
attrition rate (from the existing cadre) among naval personnel from 2.87% in 2018 to 5.95% in
2023. However, maintaining current retention rate with under the restrictive enforcement and if
not, this could have been even worst. Cumulative trend analysis indicates a persistent and
increasing attrition rate, significantly surpassing the annual recruitment capacity of the SLN. This
poses a substantial challenge to the Navy’s ability to retain professionals critical for ensuring the
national interest of Sri Lanka, predominantly national security, territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The trend is further underscored by a significant reduction in the number of applications to join
the naval force declining by nearly 75% in 2023 when compared to median enlistment applications
from 2018 to 2022 (Officer Cadets). Sailors’ applications are also having similar trend. To address
this critical issue and maintain a high-quality naval force, urgent attention is needed to enhance
the overall quality of life for naval personnel, aligning with contemporary economic realities and
required to redesign the recruitment policy. Followings are the key guidelines for retention policy;

● Competitive Compensation and Benefits. Providing competitive salaries,
allowances and comprehensive benefit packages is essential to attract and retain
skilled naval personnel. There is an immediate need to review outdated allowances
to align with the contemporary nature of Sri Lanka. Furthermore, creating welfare
facilities similar to regional navies are recommended. Moreover, SLN welfare
measures must be flexible in generating wellbeing for its personnel to make them
feel that they are enjoying welfare in comparable with many employee-centered welfare
systems that are operated by outside organizations.

● Life of Quality Initiatives. Implementing Quality of Life initiatives to enhance the
overall quality of life for naval personnel including improved health facilities,
comfortable living conditions and recreational facilities is vital. The SLN is
required to implement strategies in place to support the improvement of living
conditions while personnel are in service and during retirement like the practices in
the Pakistan Navy. This approach would motivate the workforce to stay in the
service considering the monetary benefits they are eligible for after completing
commendable service.

● Endeavour to Utilize SLN Assets with Crew for UN Peace Keeping Missions.
The SLN need to convince the GoSL about the viability of deploying its fleet units
for United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions. This initiative has the potential to
generate foreign exchange and elevate the professionalism of SLN personnel.
Several South Asian navies have successfully deployed their fleet units in UN
peacekeeping operations, resulting in significant earnings of foreign currency and
contributing to GDP and the development of their navies. Therefore, the SLN could
strategically plan to provide opportunities for high-performing individuals to earn
extra income thereby improving their quality of life. This approach would foster a
positive and competitive training and development culture within the Navy
directing naval force towards talent enhancement and competency development.

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