Effective Volunteer Engagement:
Recruiting Volunteers

STOP! Don't start using the resources on this page to recruit volunteer until you have

• the foundations in place (no excuses) for a successful volunteer engagement program
• written policies and procedures regarding supporting volunteers and ensuring safety, and
• you have created roles and tasks for volunteers IN WRITING.

Recruiting volunteers is NOT the first step in setting up a volunteer engagement scheme. It's NOT the first thing to be done to involve volunteers. In fact, I believe it is the LAST step, one you do after you have defined your mission statement for your volunteer engagement, created assignments, written policies and procedures, defined how you will evaluate your volunteer engagement at the six month and one-year mark, mapped how your volunteer in-take processes will work, and trained staff that will work with volunteers. 

• frustrate, even anger, potential and current volunteers.
• create negative public relations.
• become ineffective.

Please see Diagnosing the causes of volunteer recruitment problems before you recruit volunteers. You will quickly see why having the fundamentals of volunteer management in place is essential for recruiting and retaining volunteers is essential for any of the following to work.

Recruiting volunteers

• Recruiting Volunteers: A Step-by-Step Guide to QUICKLY Getting the Volunteers You Want
  These are simple, immediate things you can do to get volunteers. 
  

• Required Volunteer Information on Your Web Site
  If your organization or department involves volunteers, or wants to, there are certain things your organization or department must have on its web site - not by law, of course, but from a point of view of ethics and credibility. It also will help tremendously in your recruitment efforts. 
  

• Using Third Party Web Sites Like VolunteerMatch to Recruit Volunteers
  There are lots and lots of web sites out there to help your organization recruit volunteers. You don't have to use them all, but you do need to make sure you use them correctly in order to get the maximum response to your posts.

• Diagnosing the causes of volunteer recruitment problems
  Before you hire a consultant, even me, to see what the problem is regarding why you don't have enough volunteers, or the kinds of volunteers you want most, you might be able to diagnosis the problem yourself - this blog is meant to help you do that. The only catch is that you MUST be honest as you answer the questions listed here. Also, answering these questions is rarely a one-person exercise; you may think you know the answer, but you need to ask other staff members, including volunteers themselves, what their answers are to these assessment questions. This is one of the most popular blogs I've ever written.

• Screening Volunteers for Attitude
  Screening is vital to finding the right people for some, maybe all, volunteer roles, particularly those where the volunteer will work with clients and the general public, and to screen out people who may be better in shorter-term assignments or assignments where they would not work with clients or the general public, or who would not be appropriate in any role at the organization. We put all sorts of emphasis on criminal background checks and reference checks for volunteers, but the reality is that a mismatched volunteer, in terms of attitude, can be a program-killer. Screening volunteers for attitude will reduce volunteer turnover and ensure everyone has a more satisfying experience as a volunteer or working with volunteers.  

• Recruiting Local Volunteers To Increase Diversity Among the Ranks
  Having plenty of volunteers usually isn't enough to say a volunteering program is successful. Another indicator of success is if your volunteers represent a variety of ages, education-levels, economic levels and other demographics, or are a reflection of your local community. Most organizations don't want volunteers to be a homogeneous group; they want to reach a variety of people as volunteers (and donors and other supporters, for that matter). This resource will help you think about how to recruit for diversity, or to reach a specific demographic.

• Recruiting Volunteers To Serve in Difficult, Even Dangerous Roles
  Some volunteering is perceived as difficult by potential volunteers and the general public, because of the clients that volunteers will work with or the kind of activities volunteers must undertake. Examples: serving as a Big Brother/Big Sister, mentoring a foster child, assisting adults with developmental disabilities, volunteering in a shelter for women experiencing domestic violence, or staffing a suicide hotline. Some volunteering is perceived as difficult AND dangerous, such as fire fighting or search and rescue or volunteering in prisons or jails. Some volunteering is perceived as controversial, such as providing water stations in the dessert for people entering a country illegally and can die from dehydration, or defending a women's health clinic patients from protesters. Difficult, dangerous and/or controversial roles actually appeal to many people who want to volunteer: they feel strongly about the cause, or they want to do something substantial and challenging. But other roles may seem too intimidating to new recruits, like mentoring a young person going through the foster care system, working with young people in the juvenile justice system, working with people with intellectual disabilities, or working with seniors. How do you recruit for roles that might seem difficult, dangerous, even controversial? How do you recruit for a subject area or role that might provoke an initial reaction of fear among potential volunteers? This resource can help.
  

• Recruiting Mentors
  (or any high-responsibility volunteers that will work with clients)
  Successful volunteer recruitment is a mentality as much as a method. Successful recruitment of volunteer mentors comes from a mentality that permeates the organization, one that prompts employees and volunteers to always be looking for opportunities for outreach and partnership, and where all employees and volunteers are advocates for the program, regardless of the tasks they undertake. This web page has specific recommendations to recruit mentors for youth, but these recommendations could be used for most any high-responsibility, high-commitment volunteer role working with clients, such as counselors or tutors.

• Finding a Computer/Network Consultant (volunteer or paid)
  Staff at mission-based organizations (nonprofits, civil society organizations, and public sector agencies) often have to rely on consultants, either paid or volunteer, for expertise in computer hardware, software and networks. Staff may feel unable to understand, question nor challenge whatever that consultant recommends. What can mission-based organizations do to recruit the "right" consultant for "tech" related issues, one that will not make them feel out-of-the-loop or out-of-control when it comes to tech-related discussions?

• TechTools and Online Resources for Recruiting Volunteers
  There are a variety of tech tools - tools related to computers, tablets, smart phones, cell phones and/or the Internet - and online resources that can be used for recruiting volunteers - all volunteers, not just online volunteers (virtual volunteering). This page on the Virtual Volunteering Wiki lists some of these tools, but be forewarned: if you aren't ready to onboard applicants QUICKLY, then recruiting online volunteers will lead to angry people and bad public relations. Advice for HOW to use these tech tools in the various functions of volunteer management, including volunteer recruitment, can be found in The Last Virtual Volunteering Guidebook.  
• Research and case studies regarding recruitment and retainment of volunteer firefighters & justifications for involving volunteer firefighters that do NOT relate to "money saved"
  A little bit of commentary and a long list of resources, compiled from various sources. Updates welcomed!

  
Return to this web site's index of volunteer engagement-related resources  
 
And also time to have a look at: The Last Virtual Volunteering Guidebook:
Fully Integrating Online Service Into Volunteer Involvement.

A comprehensive guide to using online tools for supporting & engaging ALL volunteers, & for creating online roles & online tasks for volunteers.

The Ultimate Guide to Setting Up Virtual Volunteering At Any Organization.

Here's how to order
(includes table of contents and reviews).

 
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