Volunteer Leaders - Working with Volunteers

Interviewing and Orienting New Volunteers

When you hear from a potential volunteer, always respond with enthusiasm. Move quickly to set up an interview with the person, either over the phone or in person. Unless you have recruited the volunteer personally, this is your first opportunity to make an impression on a potential volunteer.

The depth and setting of the interview will vary depending on the position – if you are recruiting for a position that requires special skills and/or a greater commitment – it is best to spend more time on the interview, holding it in person if possible. Even when recruiting for a less-demanding position, it is helpful to speak with the potential volunteer first. During the course of the conversation, either one of you may realize that the position is not a good fit. The interview serves as a screen in this case, saving time for both of you.

Before speaking to the volunteer, have them fill out an application form and have an idea in mind of what type of qualities you need for a particular position; if they have not expressed interest in a particular opportunity, have some position descriptions on hand to discuss with them. In addition to finding out more about the potential volunteer’s interests, skills and experience, make sure the volunteer understands the requirements of the position. If both you and the volunteer feel the position is a good fit, you’re ready to move on to the next step. If you feel the person is not a good match for any open position, politely let them know during the interview – don’t leave them hanging.

The volunteer orientation helps volunteers understand how they fit in your program, familiarizes them with any relevant policies and procedures, and makes them feel welcome. Again, the orientation will vary depending on the volunteerís position. Someone participating in a one day event will not need as extensive an orientation as a new board member. (For safety guidelines and other guidelines for an orientation to Trail work, see Volunteer Protection.)

Retention: Keeping Volunteers

Not all volunteers are destined to become long-term volunteers – a volunteer’s life circumstances, interests or temperament may make a long-term commitment impossible. If a volunteer finds the opportunity fulfilling, however, they will be motivated to continue volunteering. Discovering what motivates a particular volunteer is a key challenge for volunteer managers; volunteers may be driven by a variety of causes – both altruistic and self-serving – and the motivation may change as the volunteer’s life circumstances change.

Probably the easiest way to figure out what motivates your volunteers is to ask them: during a scheduled meeting, informally during casual conversation or just by keeping your eyes open for signs of dissatisfaction – particularly if the volunteer is valuable to your program. (This attention to the motivational needs of your volunteers is a form of informal recognition.)

Dealing with Conflict

All of the planning and effort you put into planning for volunteers – developing volunteer policies, defining interesting position descriptions, recognizing volunteers for their efforts - is intended to keep conflict to a minimum. When volunteers understand what is expected of them, problems are less likely to arise. When they do, often they can be resolved quickly by referring to the position description or to policies covered during the orientation. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, youíll need to reprimand a volunteer. In its gentlest form, this can be part a discussion you have with a volunteer who seems dissatisfied – as noted above. If caught early, you may be able to turn the problem around – finding a solution that works for both you and your volunteer. For more serious problems, you may need to reprimand a volunteer. State the problem clearly and directly, let them know what behaviors/actions need to change, and then move on. If your volunteers have clear guidelines for conduct and performance, serious problems can be minimized.

Questions? Contact Jeanne Mahoney at jmahoney@appalachiantrail.org