The Republic of Singapore Navy
Making the Navy a career worth choosing in an age of uncertainty
The Challenge
In a world where Gen Zs are questioning traditional career paths, how does a military force remain a career of choice?
As Gen Zs entered the workforce, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) faced a growing recruitment challenge. In today’s age of uncertainty, traditional promises of stability, duty and prestige no longer resonated with a generation seeking flexibility, purpose, and self-defined success. The RSN needed to redefine its relevance, not as a conventional employer, but as a meaningful life choice.
The Approach
Rather than asking how to market the Navy, we asked a more human question: What does a “good career” or a “good life” mean to Gen Zs today, and where does the Navy fit, if at all?
We grounded the RSN’s recruitment strategy in deep cultural and human insight, uncovering the values and tensions shaping how Singaporean Gen Zs think about work, and how that shapes their identity. We needed to understand what truly motivates them to consider – or reject – a career path, what they are willing to hustle for.
Methodologies:
Friendship groups – observed real career conversations among peers to understand how social and family approval shapes values, risk tolerance and “acceptable” career choices.
Interviews – one-on-one conversations surfaced personal motivations, insecurities and hidden trade-offs behind career choices.
Surveys and campaign tracking – ongoing tracking measures career trade-offs, RSN’s standing vs alternative paths, and how our recruitment campaigns have shifted relevance, interest, and consideration year on year.
Cultural trends scanning – continuous mapping of global and local youth culture shifts in work, identity and aspiration to ensure insights stay current and future-facing.
Key Insights
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Careers as identity experiments, not end goals
For Gen Zs work isn’t just a pay check, but a way to try on identities. Early careers function as identity sandboxes, where roles are evaluated based on what they help you become, not just what they pay.
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Shift from one big purpose to micro-purposes
Gen Zs no longer expect work to deliver a singular, all-encompassing purpose. Meaning is spread across everyday routines, relationships, side passions and causes. A career earns relevance if it enables - not replaces - these micro-purposes.
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They don't fear commitment, they fear being trapped.
They are willing to commit deeply if the path offers skill-building, future proofing and feels reversible. Careers that look like dead ends or identity traps are rejected early.