Volunteer Leaders - Recruiting Volunteers
General Recruiting TipsBefore deciding on a recruitment strategy, it is important to know what you need from the volunteers you are trying to recruit. The practice of writing position descriptions helps you think through what you want from volunteers and how you need to prepare for them in terms of training, supervision and support. Clarifying this in advance will allow you and the volunteer to determine if the position is a good fit. It will serve to screen out volunteers who are not appropriate for the position – saving both you and the volunteer time. When describing a volunteer position, be clear about what commitment you will be asking volunteers to make. If appropriate, define an opportunity as a short term project, with a clear deadline and end point, rather than a long term and/or open ended commitment. People who sign up for a short term volunteers often stay on if they find the work is rewarding – but they may never sign up if the initial commitment seems overwhelming or ill defined. If you really need someone who can commit to 10 hours a week for a year, for instance, be straightforward about that. It is better to wait for the right person than to take an volunteer who will abandon the project if it is a bad fit. Elements of a Recruitment MessageWhile the content of the message – format, style, tone – will vary depending on the audience and method of distributing your recruitment message, the basic elements of a recruitment message, regardless of format or length, include:
Recruitment messages cover the who, what, where, when, how and why of a particular opportunity, but not all of these elements are equally important. In general, spend more time on the need, solution and advantages, and less time on logistics. Focus on the benefits of volunteering – and you can go beyond the satisfaction of “giving back.” When you describe benefits to volunteers, you’re really addressing their motivations, both altruistic and self-interested. People volunteer for many reasons – and often have more than one motivation. Some simply want to support the Appalachian Trail, while others want to gain a specific skill or meet new people. You can refer to the experiences of your volunteers when making an appeal – many people respond positively to the experiences of others. Publicize Your Volunteer OpportunitiesThe strategy you choose to get your message out will depend in large part on who your audience is. When trying to reach as many people as possible for a Trail-wide event – like a National Trails Day project - you’d use a different technique than when trying to attract a new board member. Consider these questions before you decide how to get your message out:
Sometimes this process is a straightforward, but it can be particularly helpful for when you are having trouble finding volunteers for a particular position. One of the most effective ways of recruiting volunteers is to ask people – in person – to volunteer. Having written position descriptions, you’ll have material to distribute (also see below). If you’re trying to recruit someone for a particular position, tell them why you think they are such a good fit – it is flattering to be asked. If they refuse, remember that “no” does not mean “never” – the timing or position might be wrong for a volunteer at that time you ask, but in the future he or she might be available. An easy way to reach a wide audience, the web is the first place many people go to search for information. The A.T. volunteer database is available to all clubs for posting volunteer opportunities – and managing volunteers. Other free sites where you can post volunteer opportunities include Volunteer Match, Idealist, your local volunteer center among others. Other common methods:
Questions? Contact Jeanne Mahoney at jmahoney@appalachiantrail.org |
