Tips For Recruitment Of Volunteers
Posted on February 16, 2008
Filed Under Business |
The Recruitment Guide
Are you looking for volunteers for your organization? The hardest task is getting the right people for your organization and programme. Let’s aim at recruiting the best volunteers for the job specified and the management of the same. A volunteer brings a fresh pair of eyes and mind to your organization.
You have to be clear when out to recruit the volunteer as to what will they do and how will you field the questions that will be posed by them. Are you comfortable with an outsider with little knowledge of the job will ask you questions which an employee cannot? The next thing is to prepare a guideline for selection. If you have senior staff then draft the above with them. As they are perhaps better informed about the happenings in the organization.
Also try to draft a volunteer policy is a good idea.
The volunteer coming in will need support. It will be in terms of supervision, help in the work, training, recognition and lots of queries. For this along with the Volunteer Policy you need lots of patience.
The Selection of the volunteer could be through many sources. They can be from applications, references, interviews; you can even conduct Group discussions. Conduct or recommend a health check up for the applicants. One thing you must do before recruiting is check the criminal offence records of the applicant.
Also please consider before starting to recruit volunteers include the payment and the terms of expenses, insurance, health and safety, travel and the status of volunteers receiving welfare benefits.
Recruiting volunteers is very same as advertising.
Here you are selling the opportunity to volunteer for your organization. Thus it is very important that you have a very clear message with your advertising. The nature of the advertisement will depend on your writing profile and nature of work that you are looking out for.
You must have the following ingredients
• what the voluntary work is
• what the organization as a whole does
• how a new volunteer can make a difference
• how and where to look out to find out more.
A volunteer’s engine runs on the fuel of Motivation. You must highlight on the perspective of the organization and how it is imperative for the volunteer’s presence for creating a difference. Opportunity to meet a different set of people motivates a lot of volunteers. If your target group is older generation volunteering for your organization then keeping your mind active is good thing to work on.
It is important to make it simple for the new recruits. The volunteers should feel welcome along with given complete flexibility to enjoy what they are doing.
How to get the new recruits
The quickest and cost effective method is by Word of mouth. The staff can ask around with the family and friends.
This medium can reach a wider audience. Keep the information simple and message direct. You can place it in schools and colleges, libraries, town halls and other public buildings, GP and dental surgeries, sports and leisure centre, religious centres, shop windows, bars, Job Centres, Rotary and Lions club.
Talks
Once you have a group of people you can give them a talk on the opportunity. You should know the background of the people who would have shown interest in being volunteer. Try to make it simple and I reiterate keep the message direct. If you have a presentation on computer, with pictures and live journals of volunteers it has a great impact. Keep printed materials with you for giving out as handouts.
Events
If you have support you can get into labour intensive events like ‘Volunteer week’ or ‘volunteer a week with us’ Campaign. This will help you build your brand but results could be varied. You can do this at busy places where people turn up and will listen to you train stations, Commercial Business districts, outside colleges.
Local press and radio
You can use this medium as well to promote your need for Volunteers. As in other advertisements keep your message to the targeted audience. Getting the message clear on this media is very important as it might cost you more than anything else mentioned above
In whatever way you chose to advertise for your volunteers you should have a sound background and environment for their assignments.
I hope the above tips will get you through with recruiting volunteers for your organization. If you have any more questions drop me an email at priyankamarnath@yahoo.com.sg
Priyanka Amarnath a free lance writer. She also helps a Non Profit organization called Volunteering India ( http://www.volunteeringinindia.org ) to recruit volunteers. Her email is priyankamarnath@yahoo.com.sg
Tags: aim, applicant, conduct group discussions, criminal offence, fresh pair, health and safety, health check, insurance health, job, little knowledge, outsider, recruit, recruiting volunteers, recruitment guide, safety travel, voluntary work, volunteer policy, welfare benefits
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