Volunteer recruitment challenges faced by volunteer centers include unreliable volunteers who do not show up for appointments or are not ready to volunteer. HR practices from employee recruitment can help, such as using screening tools to better assess volunteer motivation and expectations. Developing partnerships with job centers can prevent wrong volunteer orientations. Providing orientation coaching and training volunteer advisors in screening tools, active listening, and skills matching can improve recruitment. Briefing volunteer managers on retention techniques like feedback, rewards, and training can boost volunteer retention.

1. Volunteer recruitment
Marie GODINOT

2. My background
HR Manager, specialised on Training&Development
projects for Telco Companies
Cross-cultural experience
Volunteer Advisor for EVC
Career Coach for the French Chamber of Commerce

3. Volunteer Recruitment
How can HR practices and tools help
face some of the challenges met by
Volunteer Centers?

4. Agenda
The most common VC’s challenges in terms of
volunteers recruitment
Insight on recruitment processes for employees vs
volunteers
Insight on motivation factors for employees vs
volunteers
5 actions based on HR tools&practices for further
improvement

5. The recruitment challenges
clients not turning up at appointments
clients not ready/not keen to volunteer
volume and false expectations of job centre
referrals
high number of referrals from support workers
high volunteer turn-over
VIO’s not responding to volunteers
dealing with corporate volunteers VC Network meeting - May 2011
Source:

6. Recruitment challenges
RELIABILITY RETENTION

7. Insight on recruitment
process
Volunteers Employees VSO Staff
Job Description very
general role
detailed:
description
- Job purpose
- Key Job Description
with global
accountabilities
skills&availability
- Key competencies
requirements
- KPI’s

8. Insight on recruitment
process
Volunteers Employees VSO Staff
Application form
Application form
CV+cover letter considered best
(optional)
equalities practice

9. Insight on recruitment
process
Volunteers Employees VSO Staff
Behavioural or
situational interviews
Panel interviews
Informal interviews
Assessment centres
by Volunteer
Advisors and
Selection testing
Volunteer Manager Telephone
interviews
Formal
presentations

10. Insight on recruitment
process
Volunteers Employees VSO Staff
Volunteer
Agreement
- volunteer policy
Contract of Contract of
- work outline Employment employement
- job description
- type of supervision as soon as they start
- type of support working
- insurance cover
- equal opportunity policy

11. Insight on recruitment
process
Volunteers Employees VSO Staff
More temporary
contracts although
40 working 90% are
flexibility hours/week permanent
1-2 weeks search 6-9 months job More part-time
search workers = 40%
high turn-over
18 to 36 months 20% less in terms
average time in job of salary

12. Insight on recruitment
process
shows that it is less
formal
expectations are in
general less clear
matching expectations is
more difficult
Long Term
MOTIVATION is at stake

13. Insight on motivation factors

14. Insight on motivation factors

15. Insight on motivation factors

16. Insight on motivation factors
Self-
Employees are “working Actualization
partners”
Ego
with individual needs Social Needs
and drives at varying
degrees Safety Needs
Physiological Needs
ready to satisfy
employers needs only
when own needs are MASLOW'S HIERARCHY
met OF NEEDS

17. Insight on motivation factors
- to be knowledgeable, experienced,
expert
Employees care beyond - clear and fair policies, procedures,
employment practices
the salary - they care to - business integrity
know to whom they - clear job descriptions
entrust their fate, - two-ways communications
reputation and security - effective management and supervision
- positive discipline
Employees consider their - good company repute
work as a major factor - good customer relations
that shapes their lives. - company survival
- opportunities for personal growth
They expect from their - company growth
employers: - a share in the company’s success

18. Motivation specific to VSO
staff
To make a difference
more broadly
Passion for a particular
cause or injustice
Organisational culture
and benefits
Like-minded people
They tend to have altruistic motivators

19. 20 push factors for
volunteers
- personal growth - caring nature
- learn new skills - give something back
- gain qualifications - pass on their skills
- gain references for CV - be part of a team
- pathway to employment - reduce boredom
- gain confidence and self-esteem - sent by Job Centre!
- receiving training in specific tasks - have fun :-)
- feeling good about themselves - get involved in the community
- adding work experience to avoid career gap - meet people and reduce isolation
- evaluating potential career choices - meet people and make friends
- networking - strong beliefs (green issues)
They tend to have self-development motivators

20. Insight on motivation
Shows that actually the
needs are the same with
slightly different
tendencies
Corporate retention
strategies can be applied
for VSO’s

21. Action Plan
Idea 1 Train Volunteer Advisors on HR screening tools
Idea 2 Develop employment partnership with Job Centres
Idea 3 Design and facilitate a workshop for volunteers to
reflect on their expectations
Idea 4 Offer orientation coaching services
Idea 5 Brief Volunteer Managers on some HR retention
techniques

22. Action 1 Train Volunteer Advisors on HR screening tools to
better check volunteers’ expectations and motivation
Learning Outcomes
Art of questioning
Most common questions to check motivation
Active Listening
Storytyping test
Skills Matching test

24. - Why do you wake up in the morning? Give 3 main factors.
• Specific to the role and to the VSO:
- How are you interested in this role for this VO?
- What is attracting you to this volunteer role?
- What interest you most/least about this role?
• About the past:
- What do/did you like most/least in your current/past working experience?
- What frustrates you about a job/an activity?
- Why have you left your previous jobs/volunteering roles?
- What would make you leave the VO you are volunteering for?

25. Active Listening
•Verbal Responses
- Paraphrase
- Short questions
- Acknowledgement
• Non-verbal responses
• Hear what is not being said
• Am I really listening OR am I waiting to
talk?

26. On-line Test 1
The Professional Values & Story Index (PVSI) is designed to help people understand
what’s most meaningful and motivating to them in their work lives
Based on the 12-archetype model created by Dr. Carol S. Pearson with its own unique
set of talents, qualities and motivators.
“Lover” individuals are most fulfilled by building relationships. Naturally appreciative,
passionate and committed, they enjoy creating consensus and motivating others to see
and utilize their own special gifts. They're usually excited and challenged by
opportunities to enjoy the richness and fullness of life.
http://www.storybranding.com/site/take-the-pvsi-survey.php#step_1

27. On-line Test 2
Re-read the descriptions for your top three interests.
This will help you see what your interests are and what is most important
to you and provide an additional focus when you come to consider some of
the types of organisation to be found in the voluntary sector.
http://www.workingforacharity.org.uk/uploads/Files/Reviewing_My_Interests.pdf

28. Action 2 Develop employment partnership with Job
Centres to prevent wrong orientations
Contact Job Centre Plus
Work Clubs, support to help find a job
Work Together, volunteering opportunities for
jobseekers

29. requirements
• What will the learner be able to do at the end of the session
• (in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes)?
• apply on-line for volunteering opportunities
• go through the application process with success
• know how important it is to check how the volunteering opportunity matches their
own expectations and availability
• get a better understanding on their motivators to become a volunteer
• know more about the voluntary sector in general and about the different roles in a
charity
• understand how the West London Voluntary and Community Sector is structured,
and how they will be part of it
• plan their next step with the Volunteer Centre and be able to take action and start
volunteering
• be aware of the importance to honor volunteering commitment and be reliable
• get ready for the interview with volunteer managers

30. Action 4 Offer simple coaching services used for
Performance Management by line-managers in
companies

32. Coaching
A process to help you to move
from where you are today
to where you want to be
and to do it more quickly and effectively than if you were on your own
The 3 D’s
Dysfunction -> therapy
Distress -> counselling (past oriented)
Desire -> coaching (future oriented), “for Good people who want to be Great”
The coach is not a FIXER, he doesn’t give advice nor suggestions.
The coach is like a DETECTIVE, he asks the right questions at the right time. The
client has the ownership of the problem to increase his commitment.

33. Some tools for career orientation and
development
- Lifeline exercise
- My values
- When I’m at my best
Success
- My skills
- My interests Marketing
- My ideal job compass
- Summary: my personal coat of arms
- My options, action planning Opportunities
- My key achievements
(STAR, Situation, Action, Task, Result) Discover
- My personal profile
- My elevator speech Explore
- Get ready to interview questions
- Ideas bank Job search framework
- Delve into the past (your dream job)
- My 25 re-energizing activities
- Ask 10 people on kind of job and my key skills
- Brainstorming based on skills and interests
- Select 3 options and meet people with these jobs just for info

34. Action 5 Brief Volunteer Managers on some HR retention techniques
Briefing Outlines:
Feed-back game
Give positive feed-back, the number one motivator!
Give regular rewards and recognition
Send volunteers to training and conferences
Sign a letter of agreement
Be available to volunteers
Provide free food
Have Fun !
Hire staff or brief staff on “positive volunteer attitude”

38. HIRE STAFF THAT ARE COMMITTED TO VOLUNTEERS
In most non-profit organizations, we depend on volunteers to carry out our mission.
The role of the staff is to provide the resources for the volunteer staff.
Successful VSO’s do not differentiate between paid staff and volunteer staff. They
are equal.
When hiring paid staff, always ask these questions:
What is your experience in working with volunteers?
How have you handled volunteers who don't follow through?
How have you increased your effectiveness with the work of volunteers?
Tell me about an exciting experience you have had in working side by side with a
volunteer in your past work experience.
Tell me about an unsuccessful experience you had in working with a volunteer in
your last job.

39. How can HR practices and tools help face some of the
challenges met by Volunteer Centers?
Questioning Techniques Retention Strategy
Active Listening Skills Feed-back techniques
Personality Testing Reward Plan
Employment Partnership Learning & Development
Career Coaching Design interactive workshop