 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 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 ATAP, 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 units. 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 Couple Program, or MACP, are two areas that can influence an assignment match. An extended market window 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 that Fort Riley, Kansas, does not offer the medical support required under her EFMP. Therefore, both units in First 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 First 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 First Brigade First Cav. First Brigade First Cav has ranked Captain Arthur third, and because there are no other tentative matches for First Brigade, Captain Arthur is tentatively matched to First Brigade First Cav. Soldiers 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 ranked Third Brigade First Cav first, and the algorithm attempts to match her there. Third Brigade First Cav ranked Captain Grant second, and because there are no other matches ranked higher, Captain Grant has tentatively matched. Captain Washington ranked First Brigade First Cav first. The algorithm attempts to match Captain Washington. First Brigade First 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, Third Brigade First Cav. Captain Arthur is the third preferred officer with Grey 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 Second Brigade 82nd. The Falcon Brigade did not preference Captain Madison, so she cannot be matched there. Captain Madison's second preference is First Brigade 82nd, and she is tentatively matched. Let's watch the algorithm match Captain Fillmore. Captain Fillmore has ranked Third Brigade First Cav as his first choice. Third 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 First Brigade First 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 Third Brigade First Cav. Captain Washington is the fifth preference to Grey Wolf Brigade, and they are already matched with a more preferred officer. So Captain Washington must move to his third preference at Second Brigade First I.D. 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 Second 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 First Brigade First I.D. has not received a match for their vacancy. By not perferencing any available officers, First Brigade First I.D. 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 First Brigade First I.D. 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 first 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, First Brigade First I.D. essentially forfeited their vote on who they received to fill that assignment. Unit involvement in perferencing 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.armay.mil.