Isn't this a bit of a non-story? There's no evidence that they were <i>forced</i> to do anything. Nearly every senior job is advertised <i>somewhere</i>.<p>For example - you can apply to be Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Gibraltar if you like <a href="https://apply.judicialappointments.digital/vacancy/lQlCzxeR4Q5FQxCcg7D6/" rel="nofollow">https://apply.judicialappointments.digital/vacancy/lQlCzxeR4...</a><p>The Royal Navy seems to advertise <i>all</i> levels of jobs on LinkedIn - and wider.<p>Surely having an open and fair advertisement is better than finding someone you went to school with and discreetly tapping them on the shoulder?
> Generation Z is not joining the armed forces in the way my generation did<p>Why <i>aren't</i> the kids joining the military? Did something happen in the last few decades that made them rethink it as a career option, possibly?
To fill a position as "director of submarines and [who] would be responsible for 'elite operations' and the nation’s nuclear deterrent" requires intimate knowledge of the workings of the Royal Navy. It would almost certainly be a promotion from within or for someone who had as least previously worked for the Royal Navy and risen to a high level. Wouldn't hiring a headhunter to do a targeted search work better than using Linkedin?
<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/us-general-warns-british-army-no-longer-top-level-fighting-force-defence-sources-reveal-12798365" rel="nofollow">https://news.sky.com/story/us-general-warns-british-army-no-...</a><p>They’ve apparently kept cutting costs for a long period of time. This has probably hurt the value proposition for attracting young talent.
Maybe I'm exposing my own stupidity here, but why would it be bad to advertise the position? Is it because they used LinkedIn or is the mere action of advertising the position instead of trying to fill the position in secrecy the bad part?<p>I'm guessing that $TODAYS_ENEMY would know about the position being unfilled no matter if it's posted on LinkedIn or not, which some "former submariner" complained about.
If all the suitable insiders are not applying then maybe there is something wrong with the job? Could it be e.g. that it has all the responsibility but little power to do anything?