Transcript Training Days for Volunteer Managers

WALDEN-CAN
Community Conference
Volunteer Recruitment
…a KEY Issue Facing Community Groups
Presenter: Linda Hunter
Saturday April 25, 2009
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Agenda
Why ?
Who ?
How ?
Recruitment
Wrap Up
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Goals
By the end of the session participants will be
thinking about:
• Why People Volunteer
• Who to target
• Where to find volunteers
• How to use better strategies to reach
target.
• Where to look for volunteers & ideas
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Why People Volunteer
• Acquire new skills to enhance their marketability
• Be creative, solve problems, perform
challenging work
• Contribute to a cause that is important to them
• Cultivate new interests
• Develop and grow personally,
• Develop friendships and affiliations
• Explore new career options and network
• Explore their strengths
• Feel useful or enjoy the tasks.
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Why People Volunteer con’t
• Friends already volunteer
• Fulfill the service requirement of a club, school
church or legal restitution
• Have fun; gain a sense of personal achievement
• Help & Improve life for the community
• Maintain skills while unemployed
• Need to belong to a group or community
• Receive professional experience or training
• Relieve boredom and monotony
• Repay what they have received
Why Don’t People Volunteer?
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Doesn’t know how to become involved
Lack of extra time
Unwilling to make year-round commitment
Hadn’t been personally asked
Gave money instead of time
Don’t BELIEVE they have the time
No interest in volunteering
Already made a contribution in volunteering
Financial costs associated with volunteering
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Identify: Who is your target?
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Targeted recruitment approach
Be innovative, creative a& flexible in recruitment
methods
Match the right person to the right position
Support volunteers with infrastructure for training
Break down the work differently
Ask for a (short) term commitment up front
Offer the volunteer new ways of being involved
Make it easy for people to say yes
If we invite them to come in for one event, they will
continue
If they see that they can?
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Finding Volunteers
• Start close to home – people who already
believe in your cause. 6 Degrees of Separation!
• People who need skills & experience to improve
job skills, practicum's, etc
• Connect with faith communities
• Youth volunteers
• New Canadians
• Diversity & Inclusion – people with challenges
• Employees, whole companies
• Invite Folks Out!
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Other Strategies That Work
• Ask people to join
• Give somebody who is already in your
group more training
- more confidence they will take on more duties
• Word of mouth by satisfied volunteers
• Start within your own group
– are there people who would benefit from
doing more?
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Volunteer Recruitment Support
• Volunteer Opportunities promoted by:____________
• Volunteer Sudbury office
• Website – ________________
• Information fairs & public events, local media.
• In partnership with
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non-profit agencies
individuals
educational institutions
health organizations,
businesses
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Trends - Not For Profit
Human Resource
• Shift in role of staff and role of volunteer
• Harder to attract and retain staff specially
dedicated to not for profit sector
• Increase in Drive By volunteering (episodic)
• Decrease in traditional volunteers
• More informal or spontaneous volunteering
• More big picture volunteering – environment
• Focus on immediate results vs. ongoing,
sustainable activity
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Trends – con’t
• Increase in mandatory volunteering
• Increase in event volunteering
• Shift to targeted recruitment of Board
Members
• Reduction in government funding
• Interest in volunteer opportunities for
people with special needs
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Think of Volunteers As
Customers
• Use a customer service approach to
volunteers
• Satisfied volunteers – unhappy people tell
9 people – happy people tell 3
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Organizational Climate
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Trust
Make people feel welcome
Volunteers feel supported
There is a process for resolving conflict
New ideas are welcome
Want to feel comfortable
Lack of tension/politics/infighting
Sense of teamwork
Open communication
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Recruitment Methods That
Work
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Feed them
Give and take – benefits of service
Bring a buddy night. Sponsorship of new
members (offer free drink or meal)
Shuttle service to brings friends to events
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How can you reach them?
Strategies
• Have a job description
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Contact 8 - 10 times to move a person to action
Public Service Announcements – use the media for stories
Image – we are a good organization – great place to volunteer
Everyone in your organization knows what you are recruiting
for
Make contact with high schools (posters or morning
announcements)
Articles in community newsletters and on websites
Welcome Wagon
Satisfied volunteers
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5 Principals of Engagement
See People as Citizens
1. Pursue Civic Engagements Not Public Input
2. Engage People as Citizens & not
Consumers
3. Discover Voices not Just Demographics
4. Seek Common Ground, Not Consensus
5. Provide Knowledge, not More Information
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Target Recruitment Steps
Targeted recruitment approach:
• We need to be innovative, creative and flexible in our
recruitment methods:
• Match the right person to the right position
• Support volunteers with infrastructure for training
• Break down the work differently
• Have co-chairs to attract reluctant executive members
• Ask for a (short) term commitment up front
• Offering the volunteer new ways of being involved
• Make it easy for people to say yes
• If we invite them to come in for one event, they will
continue if they see that they can
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More Recruitment Tips
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Write clear, comprehensive job descriptions
Be honest about the position
Use the “targeted” versus “warm body” approach
Appeal to motivations and describe benefits
Show impact of volunteer participation
Tie into existing marketing practices
Make sure everyone knows what you are
looking for
• Use technology to recruit
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Retention Strategies
• Monitor staff/volunteer regarding
– Position
– Fit
– Role
• Share the organization long term plan &
link staff/volunteer role to plan
• Build in flexibility
• Become a “preferred” place to volunteer
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Retention Strategies Con’t
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Connected and good management
Effective coaching and mentoring
Ethically leadership
Flexibility
Recognition and Incentives
Ongoing performance feedback
Progressive advancement
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Who Are Your Volunteers?
Assemble a list of your volunteers and
sort by:
•Gender
•Age
•Education level
•Labour force status (full time, part time,
unemployed, retired)
Are there groups that are underrepresented in your volunteer base?
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Do These Seem Familiar?
• The aging of members ….no new, younger
volunteers
• Procedures that reflect only stay-at-home, older
women's lives, such as daytime meetings or
reluctance to use e-mail
• Sticking with fundraisers that have outlived their
popularity
• Recycling officers with no skills in membership
development
» Get over it!!!!
Recruitment Exercise
Select A Specific Volunteer Position
What qualifications, skills & abilities you need?
• Select a specific target group
• What motivates this group?
• What are possible barriers to their involvement?
Develop key recruitment message based on this
Criteria:
• Qualifications
• Skills
• Abilities
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Set Marketing Goals
• Provide direction for your total
marketing effort
• Action Goals: You want marketing to
produce specific, measurable results for
your organization.
• Image Goals: You want to be better
known or in some way change how you
are seen.
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Set Marketing Goals con’t
• You might have action goals or image
goals or both
• Goals should strike a balance between
what you ideally want to accomplish and
what is possible
• Bottom line on marketing goals - furthering
the organization’s mission
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Develop a
Marketing Plan
The new meaning of the word marketing is
Relevant information delivered to an
interested audience……
or TRIBE Marketing
• Decide on necessary steps, who will do what, by
when and with what resources and support
• Not all marketing plans call for promotion
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Customize What Is Your
Message?
• What do we offer volunteers?
• What motive can we appeal to? Volunteers feel they
have something to give or something to gain.
• Social – meet other people and get out
• Give back/contribute
• Make connection with professionals (retired)
• Community service – compassionate
• Put it on a resume (young people)
• Political aspirations – leadership experience
• Public service
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Barriers to Volunteering: Hidden
Messages in Your Recruitment
• Keep the language Simple
– Avoid abbreviations, acronyms & terminology
• Ask someone outside the “inner circle
– to read it to ensure it is easily understood.
• Sometimes "volunteer" is not universally welcomed.
– What fits your target audience? Try community service, helping
out, taking action, making a difference. Volunteer is a (un) pay
category, not a title.
• Never head a poster “Volunteers Wanted."
– Emphasize the title of the assignment itself, such as tutors,
mentors, cyber deputies, Quilters, whatever.
How To Develop Volunteer Involvement
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Exhibit image & appeal for Volunteers
Positive Methods of recruiting volunteers
Recruitment and application procedures
Induction into volunteering
Training for volunteering (A biggie)
The ethics and culture of the organization
The support and supervision given to
volunteers
Looking for Folk in the
Cloud(S)
• Cloud Computing
– Gmail email, Calendars & Collaboration tools
– LinkedIN, Open Office
• What is it How can it help
– Often Free
• Which sites will produce results?
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Summary and Wrap-up
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Understanding of Targets
Where to Look
How to Recruit
Clever Ways To Market To Potential
Volunteers
• Check out various websites (see list)
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Thanks Everyone
In Walden !
Check these out!
• http://learn.linkedin.com/non-profits/
• http://www.google.ca/intl/en/options/
– Cloud Computing
• http://www.iog.ca/boardgovernance/html/quick8.html
– Board Quick Check
• http://www.boardbuilders.com/pdfs/WelschExecDir.PDF
– Check it out
• http://www.energizeinc.com/prof/class.html
– Check it out
• www.givingandvolunteering.ca/factsheets.asp
• http://volunteer.ca/volunteer/pdf/CodeEng.pd
– The Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement
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