When the demand for volunteers is so huge, and therefore battle to attract and retain them can be a little daunting, it’s no wonder that recruitment mistakes are sometimes made, even by the best of us.  Desperation takes over and it can be hard to keep focus on the bigger picture.

The broadest, and maybe the most meaningful definition of volunteering:  Doing more than you have to because you want to, in a cause you consider good.  ~Ivan Scheier

If you don’t ask you don’t get – Firstly, you need to be active in your volunteer recruitment, instead of expecting people to come to you. But secondly, don’t be afraid to single people out within your existing volunteer ranks if you see they have special skills or could blossom in a particular project.  Some people will never put their hand up due to a lack of confidence for example but would be willing to take on extra responsibility if only you ask them.

Look to the future – What would you prefer? Lots of volunteers with short term commitment and high turnover, or a smaller team with a long term goal, high retention rates and organisational experience? It takes time to recruit and train staff, regardless of their payment status, so be careful to aim for numbers instead of longevity as you end up behind in the long run.  Yes, you may need high volume, short term commitment volunteers from time to time, but be careful to identify and reward those you see with potential, offer them greater responsibility and perhaps leadership opportunity, and therefore a reason to hang around.

Be persistent – One no does not equal a lifetime of no.  Sometimes people have too much going on to accept extra responsibility or any at all, so they don’t volunteer at all, or knock back a request for a leadership role.  Just because they said no then, doesn’t mean the next time you need the specialist skills they possess, they will say no again.  You may well be surprised next time.

Watch your language – This is important on 2 levels. Firstly, name the role appropriately so as to attract the right people and set the correct expectations.  If the role requires extensive administration, say so.  If the position is more hands on, communicate that in the title too.  If you recruit under false pretences, by accident or design, you get the wrong people, low retention and low commitment.  Be straight up about what you need people to do.  Some people are very much behind the scenes workers and get satisfaction from working bees or stuffing envelopes, whereas others would find that boring and want to be out in public, raising profile and fundraising.  Put the right person in the right role by using the right language to recruit in the first place. Secondly, value your volunteers in all your communication. Clever organisations put their volunteers first, for example when listing their workforce numbers or explaining what they do and who does it. No one is ever ‘just’ a volunteer. Knowing your role has high value, regardless of the rate of pay, is a highly attractive recruitment and retention tool.

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.  ~Author Unknown