1. Volunteer Recruitment and Onboarding
Nonprofit Learning Point
June 3, 2015

2. Melissa M. Gilmore, M.Ed., CVA
Faculty
Melissa M. Gilmore, M.Ed., CVA
Mary Ella Douglas, CVA
Managing Partners
Make It Happen Now, LLC

3. Introductions Name Organization Years in Volunteer Administration
Why you chose to take this course

4. Learner Objectives Develop mission driven roles for volunteers
Identify volunteer recruitment strategies
Create effective marketing messages
Explore effective screening, placement and orientation procedures

5. Photographs

6. Best Volunteer Experience
What was it?
What made it great?

7. Why Engage Volunteers? Discuss the question
Determine your group’s top 5 reasons to engage volunteers
Report out

8. Question:
In your organization, most of the volunteers come from which group? Mandated Volunteers- Court Referred Youth Volunteers Families Corporate Groups Short-term/Micro Virtual Readiness to Work

9. Volunteer Management Audit
Planning and Resources
Volunteer/Employee Relations
Staffing
Supervision
Volunteer Work Design
Recognition
Recruitment
Record Keeping and Relationships
Interviewing and Screening
Evaluation
Orientation and Training
Volunteer Input

10. Volunteer Position Description
Why have them?
Communicate clear expectations
Identify roles and responsibilities
Mutual agreement with supervisor and volunteer
Hold staff and volunteers accountable
Foundation for annual review

11. Examining - Identifying Areas of Need
What do you wish you had more time to do?
What could you use help with in your job?
If you could hire someone, what tasks would you hire them to do?
Do you ever wish you could hire someone with a special skills or expertise to help you with a project? Pro bono volunteers, or those individuals who donate time and skills to the association that they would otherwise be paid to do can help with tasks that we don’t have the expertise to do. They can be considered highly-skilled volunteer consultants. [Examples: Lauren Lempert writing legal briefs, Marybeth Saunders developing and analyzing volunteer surveys.]
If you could hire an intern or create another position to assist you with your work, what tasks would you assign to that person?
[Ask participants to work in pairs and develop a list of the tasks they wish they could assign to someone else that could free them up to spend more time other tasks.]

12. Examining - Identifying Areas of Need
Which of these tasks could realistically be given to volunteers?
What would you need to do to support a volunteer for this assignment?
Which of these tasks could realistically be given to volunteers? Are there “real” limitations or are those limitations connected to your concept of what “volunteer” means to you?
Consider time, risks/safety, and the degree of responsibility.
What would you need to do to support a volunteer for this assignment? Take a minute to write down your thoughts. Think of categories such as: Preparation, Training, Supervision, Supplies/Space. Could a virtual volunteer assist you? Would this work need to be done in the office?

13. Developing a Volunteer Position Description

14. Volunteer Position Description Components
Title and Introduction
Orientation and Training
Responsibilities
Outcomes/Goals
Qualifications
Work Schedule

15. Volunteer Position Description Sample
Time Commitment
Supervision and Support Plan
Volunteer Benefits
Start and End Dates

16. Recruitment Methods
Choose your most successful method of recruitment from the choices below: Flyer Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Events Website Volunteer Centers Newspaper Other Volunteers; word of mouth Group Presentations Paid Advertising Public Service Announcement Other

17. Examples of Powerful Messages

18. Social Media Messages
Create a recruitment message using at least one type of social media.

19. Organizational Culture
What’s your organization’s acceptance of volunteers?
If there was one thing you could change about your organizational culture toward volunteerism, what would it be?

20. Why Interview Volunteers?
Get to know each other
See your work environment
Ask questions
Meet the supervisor
Assess suitability/fit
Avoid risk
Determine motivation

21. Asking the Right Questions
Behavior-based questions are questions that elicit specific examples of a skill
Past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior/performance
Questions should measure core competencies

22. Screening What are some common risks? Who are we screening out?
Reference checks
Background checks

23. Screening Scenarios Break into small groups (4-5 people)
Read and Review your assigned screening scenario
As a group determine your next steps
Share your ideas with the class

24. Placement Determine the process: Sign an Agreement
Secure/Notify supervisor
Determine schedule
Inform staff
Assign any pre-start work

25. “All the orientation in the world won’t compensate for a bad first day

26. The First Day Planning for the first day Tour of facility Meet/Greet
Information
Any unspoken rules

27. Volunteer Handbook Volunteer Handbook: Welcome Letter/Video
Expectations
Benefits/Opportunities
Guidelines
Policies
Organizational Info
Volunteer Agreement

28. Orientation How to use: e-mail, phone, equipment Assigning a Mentor
Resources
Evaluation
1. What did you learn during orientation that was the most valuable?
2. What do you wish we had covered in orientation that you had to learn on your own?

29. Resources CVA Credential www.cvacert.org
Everyone Ready®
Volunteer Match
GRAVA
NLP Emerging Leaders
Hands On Greater Richmond
Connect VA

30. Winding Down Share one take-away or
One thing that you will implement when you go back to your workplace.

31. Reflection Activity Learner Objectives:
Develop mission driven roles for volunteers
Identify volunteer recruitment strategies
Create effective marketing messages
Explore effective screening, placement and orientation procedures