In Sweden, army recruits interview soldiers mid-mission

The Swedish Armed Forces are offering potential recruits interviews — via online video conferences with working members of the forces.

For many people, the Armed Forces are still shrouded in mystery. Although most potential recruits are aware that there are a huge range of roles, few have a deep understanding of what those posts might entail. Past advertising campaigns in the UK and elsewhere have often highlighted the variety of positions, but the latest recruitment drive from the Swedish Armed Forces aims to take this to the next level. The campaign gives would-be recruits the richest insight possible — by connecting them through online video conferencing with four different members of the forces, who they can interact with in their real work environment.

The campaign, which includes print and TV advertisements, aims to create a dialogue with young adults and give them a better understanding of the positions available: there are part-time or full-time roles including soldier, sailor, specialist and manager. Interested candidates can read about positions such as liaison-officer, frogman and dog-handler at a dedicated website before applying for an interview. They then partake in a video conference with staff conducted mid-mission.

The resulting interviews are available to view online. Could other institutions offer more hands-on recruitment processes?