For love not money
The face of volunteering has changed dramatically in recent
years. There are now less 'traditional' volunteers
- white, middle-class with a certain level of financial stability.
Volunteers, particularly the young, have identified the benefits
for themselves and are not afraid to expect more in return.
Planning comes first
Involving volunteers successfully requires good planning.
Before you even start recruiting volunteers, involve all staff
and management committee members in a planning process. Draw
up a volunteer policy that covers the areas of involvement
of volunteers, task descriptions, recruitment processes, induction,
training and support. Think realistically about the costs
and ask if your organisation can afford volunteers. A volunteer
agreement is useful - this will state clearly what you expect
from volunteers and what you will offer in return.
Video view: Children's
Country Holiday Fund
See how the Children's Country Holiday Fund went about
overhauling its volunteer policy, in the Voluntary Matters
2 video.
Select the play button to start the clip.
Volunteers are never unpaid staff. A volunteer is someone
who gives their time free. Expenses should be reimbursed but
if small, regular payments are made, such as an honorarium,
the boundaries may become blurred and that person might be
seen as a low-paid worker. New employment legislation makes
it even more important to be clear about the differences between
paid and unpaid workers. Beware of job substitution.
Getting them in
What kind of volunteers are you looking for? Many volunteers
are recruited through word of mouth, but this can be limiting
because volunteers tend to come from similar backgrounds.
You may find it useful to target the kind of volunteers you
are looking for by developing a person profile - be inclusive,
innovative, and realistic.
When you know what you're looking for, you can advertise
in the media, through Volunteer Bureaux and community networks,
or contact employee volunteering schemes. Remember that competition
for volunteers is fierce with over 160,000 charities in existence,
so you need to market your organisation to potential volunteers.
Make sure your recruitment ads give an upbeat message about
what volunteers can gain but be clear about what you want
in return.
Consider the diversity of your volunteers - are you missing
out volunteers because you tend to only recruit from one social
group? See the hitting targets in Cardiff case study.
Selection and screening
Once recruitment is underway it's important to follow
up with a speedy selection procedure. Let potential volunteers
know beforehand about any referencing or screening procedures.
Criminal record checks are not an alternative to the interview
process. See holding on to volunteers in rural Wales.
You should have a policy for dealing with volunteers who
turn out not to be suitable. If a volunteer is to be rejected,
it's important to be honest and as positive as possible.
It can be very demoralising to be told that time given free
is not wanted. Offer some alternative - perhaps a return after
further training or refer them to the local Volunteer Bureau.
Keeping volunteers
Understanding what motivates volunteers and meeting their
expectations is vital. But bear in mind that the nature of
these motivations means that it is likely that volunteers
will move on and that involving people will be an ongoing
process. Some people look to volunteering as a development
tool, perhaps to change career, so it's helpful to try
to identify ways in which they can move on and grow in an
organisation. However, this needs sensitive handling as it
can be threatening to paid staff.
One person in the organisation should be responsible for
volunteers. Managing volunteers demands considerable interpersonal
and personnel skills and cannot just be 'tacked on'
to an already busy job - it should be part of a job description.
However, all paid staff should be involved in the planning
process.
What happens when volunteers aren't managed well? See a
volunteer's view.
Expert view
Anne Gilbert talks about the importance of a having volunteer
co-ordinator in post.
Video view: Lothian Community
transport
See how Lothian Community Transport dealt with a high turnover
of volunteers by appointing a volunteer co-ordinator and offering
more training.
Select the play button to start the clip.
All volunteers need to feel they 'belong'. They
need induction about the organisation, training for the task
and support. They should be consulted and included in decision-making
where possible. Don't forget to say thank you. Social
events, birthday cards, a Christmas party, certificates, awards,
a place at conference can also make volunteers feel valued.
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