Equipped to Serve

Preparing volunteers to serve with confidence & integrity.

Volunteer Recruitment

How to Design Graphics for Social Media to Recruit Volunteers

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Probably one of the most difficult tasks for Pregnancy Center staff is volunteer recruitment.

Does volunteer recruitment feel exhausting to you?

I thought I might try and brainstorm a few creative ideas for volunteer recruitment, especially focusing on this difficult time of social distancing and people staying close to home.

First I think you might need to think creatively about how you can use volunteers during this pandemic.

Here are a few ideas.

Of course you will need client permission and contact information for some of these ideas. I imagine that most of these ideas you might have already thought about an incorporated into your volunteer program. If so, good for you!

  1. Following up with current clients via zoom and phone calls
  2. Client sessions via zoom
  3. Parenting classes and post-abortion groups via zoom
  4. Door-drop deliveries of materials to clients who need materials assistance
  5. Organize a virtual baby shower for the Center with a safe drop-off location after the event.  If people order gifts online have them delivered to the Center or the organizing volunteer’s home.
  6. Organize a Phone-A-Thon to call donors and personally update them on the state of affairs at the Pregnancy Center

Creating Recruitment Ads for Social Media

Social Media seems to be the thing for quite a while now for just about everything. Almost everyone has either a Facebook page and an Instagram account or both. There is a free website called Canva where you can design ads with many templates to choose from that are formatted for Instagram and Facebook.

Here is a design I created for one of the ideas listed above, a Virtual Baby Shower, with some notations to think about when designing your own volunteer ads.

Design Elements For A Volunteer Recruitment Ad for Instagram or Facebook

Here are some other samples of recruitment ads.

I would be happy to help anyone who is interested in designing some ads for their Center. If you like any of the ads I have designed I can change the logo and use your brand colors.

Once you have your designs, I would suggest the following:

  1. Send the ad for the position you are currently recruiting for, to your current volunteers and ask them to upload it to their Facebook or Instagram page. They can say yes or no but you will reach a lot more people with their help.
  2. For just $10 Facebook will boost your post on the Center’s Facebook page which will reach many more people than just the folks who have chosen to follow you.
  3. Since currently many churches are not meeting in person, you might call the churches that support you financially and ask if you could put one of these ads you have designed on the church’s website.
  4. Use the graphics in your donor and volunteer newsletters
  5. Use the graphics on the Center’s website page you use for recruiting volunteers. Graphics draw people in and capture their interest much more that long blocks of text. You can have a different graphic for each position and the viewer would have to click on the graphic to gather more in-depth information about that position.

How to Recruit and Retain Quality Volunteers

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Do you become frustrated when you spend time conducting a training class but when training is over only half, or less than half, of the attendees end up volunteering?

You get what you ask for, so start by defining what you want.

Start by developing a list of the qualities you are looking for in your volunteers. A short list of qualities might include:

  • Committed
  • Consistent / Faithful
  • Reliable
  • Teachable
  • Aligned with your ministry vision

How do you screen for and educate to these qualities?

You must search for and honor these qualities in all aspects of your volunteer program – recruitment, screening, training, supervision and appreciation. It is especially important in the recruitment and screening phases. It is important to establish expectations and requirements from the very beginning.

Recruitment

  • Your volunteer recruitment materials must keep in mind the qualities you are looking for
  • How do you talk about what you do and how you do it in your recruitment?
  • How can you utilize the actual words of the qualities you are looking for in your recruitment text?

Screening: Interviewing, Job Descriptions and References

Interviewing  
  • The questions you ask in an interview should enable you to see how these qualities have been utilized in other areas of their lives
  • Some sample questions:
    • Where have you volunteered? What were the requirements there? What did you enjoy the most? What was the hardest part of that experience?
    • How have you invested in your own personal growth in the last year?
    • What attracted you to volunteering at the Pregnancy Center?
    • What are you hoping to learn from volunteering with us?
    • What are you most committed to in your life right now?
    • Consistency/Faithfulness is an important quality we are looking for in volunteers. Please share a situation in your life where you were consistent/faithful in the face of adversity.
    • What does being reliable mean to you?
    • Give me an example of when you had to learn something new and how you learned to do that something.
Job Descriptions
  • All of the qualities your are looking for should be reflected in the job description.
    • What time commitment you are looking for – weekly, monthly, yearly?
    • Training required – basic & in-service trainings (Be VERY clear about these.) Include make-up responsibilities if they do not attend the in-services
    • What is their responsibility if they cannot make a scheduled shift?
    • Reading and signing your ministry mission and vision so they are very clear about what you do and how you do it.
References
  • Many of the questions you ask a reference should revolve around the qualities you are looking for.
  • If you are using a written reference, you can ask them to rate the person from 1 to 5 on the qualities. If there are any 1s or 2s you should follow up with a phone call to clarify their answers.
  • If you are using a verbal interview, you can ask them to tell you about a time they have observed the potential volunteer exhibiting these qualities.

Training

  • There should always be responsibility put on the volunteer for knowing and showing that they are applying the fundamentals taught in the training.
  • Tell volunteers how and when they are going to be responsible for knowing and showing what is taught in the training.
  • What happens when volunteers are not teachable or are not capable to be in an advocate position with clients? Will other positions be offered to them?
  • Emphasize the importance of ongoing learning and practice (role-play).

Supervision

  • Hold all volunteers accountable to the standards you established and informed them about.
  • Be a role-model for the qualities you are asking of them.
  • Creatively hold them accountable for the fundamentals.
  • Role-play . . . role-play . . .role-play

Appreciation

  • Appreciate volunteers for the qualities they are exhibiting
  • Honor these volunteer qualities in a special way. Here are a few examples:
    • On their volunteering yearly anniversaries
    • Who have never missed an in-service.
    • Who have logged in the most client hours in the past month, year, etc.
    • Who have never missed a shift in ____ months.
    • Who are always practicing and learning and applying the skills
  • These honors can be in private (flowers, small gifts, etc.) to encourage the person who deserves the appreciation while not making others feel competitive or left out. This privately shows the qualities you value in volunteers and reinforces those qualities and behaviors.
  • Public honors can also be utilized by highlighting them in a newsletter or donor letter, honoring them at a banquet, putting their photos up on a bulletin board in the volunteer room, etc. This publicly shows the qualities you value in volunteers and reinforces those qualities and behaviors.

What qualities are you looking for in your volunteer program? Align all the components of your volunteer program to recruit, screen, train and appreciate for these qualities.

Remember . . . You get what you ask for!

Connecting Training to the Vision of the Ministry

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One of the goals that any trainer should work towards is showing how the training that we ask of our volunteers fits in to the larger vision and goals of the ministry. Training volunteers who are going to work with clients usually demands both a financial and a substantial time commitment. It can seem daunting to a potential volunteer.  Explaining the why behind the expected commitment to training can often help volunteers see why the study and time commitment is important in achieving the vision and mission of the Pregnancy Center.

I have developed a power point presentation that explains how the skills taught in the Equipped to Serve training is driven by:

  • the beliefs we have that caused the Pregnancy Center to be developed which in turn drives  . . .
  • the mission of the ministry which then must identify . . .
  • the who we minister to which demands that we define . . .
  • the how we minister which then hopefully answers the question . . .
  • the results of the ministry . . .

Often Centers have an introductory session for potential volunteers that usually shares the vision and mission of the ministry, what the expectations and requirements are for volunteering, and all the ways to volunteer in the ministry. This is a great time to use this presentation. It shows the importance and reason for the training and ties it in to both the mission and the corporate and personal results of volunteering in the ministry.

I have put this power point I turned into a video that you can view on YouTube. I am having trouble embedding the video here on my site so you will have to copy the link below and put it in your Google Chrome search engine.

If you find this helpful and would like to use the visual I am happy to send you a copy of the Power Point presentation. You can alter the file to reflect your mission statement.

If you would like the Power Point please click on the connect link at the top of the page and send me your request.

Writing Effective Volunteer Job Descriptions

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Photo by fauxels from Pexels

In the blog last week I talked about envisioning volunteers. One of the first steps in doing so is writing an effective job description. It might be worth your time to take a look at your current job descriptions to see if they answer the following questions for your volunteers?

  • What am I supposed to do?
  • Will you let me do it?
  • Will you help me when I need it?
  • Will you let me know how I am doing?

Job descriptions are the blueprints for recruiting, managing and retaining employees.

An incredibly useful tool, the volunteer job description helps your volunteer recruitment efforts, the management of those volunteers and retaining them. Setting expectations with a job description should be job number one for any volunteer manager.

Pregnancy Centers have a few complex long-term volunteer positions where specialized training is necessary. It makes sense to manage those positions like you would a paid position. That includes a detailed job description that you can use to recruit those volunteers. The job description can also be helpful when you evaluate volunteers, helping both of you to remember what the job is all about.

Each job description should explain the assignment, plus the skills, abilities, and interests necessary to perform the volunteer task successfully. 

Clarity is what every volunteer prefers. Before you even start recruiting volunteers, make a list of the jobs you want them to perform, and then describe those positions as clearly as you can. 

Job descriptions are powerful tools for recruiting and supervising volunteers. You can use these documents to carefully screen candidates and schedule their work. Besides clarifying what volunteers are expected to do, job descriptions send the message that your ministry is well-organized.

Doug Toft on the website missionbox.com suggests what to include in your job descriptions. I have made a few additions and adjustments to his list to accommodate the needs of Pregnancy Center volunteers.

Mission. Volunteers want to know your mandate. State the basic idea of your work in one memorable sentence.

Project or Position. Describe the goal of the volunteer project or role and explain how it contributes to your mission.

Tasks. Describe exactly what you want the volunteer to do. List specific, observable behaviors.

Skills. It pays to be very clear and concrete when listing qualifications for any volunteer position. Include education, personal characteristics, skills, abilities, and experience required.

Setting. Describe where the volunteer will work — outdoors, your main office, an off-site location, door-to-door in the community. If the setting calls for a dress code or special equipment, mention these as well.

Schedule and Commitment. How much time do you expect from the volunteer? Include length of service, hours per week, and hours per day. Include any special requirements such as weekend work. Answer common questions: How long will the job last? Can I determine my own hours? Are date-specific events or project deadlines part of the job?

Training and Supervision. Describe the required training including details of the times and locations of the training(s). Include initial classroom training, on-the-job training, in-service training and any training for special or seasonal volunteer jobs such as Walk-For-Life or other fundraising events.
Explain who will be available for assistance and how volunteers get feedback on their performance.

Screening. Describe up front any required background checks or screening tests for volunteers.

I would also include a section on:

  • Benefits of volunteering. List possible benefits as a result of volunteering such as learning new skills, working with a team towards a common goal, contributing to the goals and mission of your Pregnancy Center, loving on people in crisis in a meaningful and impactful manner.

You can download a job description template here.

This template is in Microsoft Word so you need that software in order to open the template. If you have Word you will be able to edit the document.

What Volunteers Need to Know

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Lorne Sanny – Past President of The Navigators

Have you wondered what volunteers need to know in order to do their job with confidence and integrity? What, as leaders, must we provide to our volunteers in order to envision them yet enable them to feel secure in their service to clients? How do we lead gracefully but still have standards for our volunteer program and ministry?

Years ago at a Pregnancy Center conference, Lorne Sanny who at that time was the director of the Navigators, spoke at our conference. His talks focused on leadership and much of his talk has resonated with me ever since. Dr. Sanny stared his service with The Navigators in 1956 and served for 30 years before he retired. Dr. Sanny went to be with Jesus in March of 2005.

He taught ­­that the people we are leading need to know four things:

  • What am I supposed to do?
  • Will you let me do it?
  • Will you help me when I need it?
  • Will you let me know how I am doing?

Let’s take a look at each of these questions in light of your work with volunteers. These questions apply to volunteers as well as paid employees, especially as most of the Pregnancy Center workforce is made up of volunteers.

What am I supposed to do?

This question speaks to several things:

  1. The quality of your job descriptions
    • Do you have written, detailed job descriptions for every volunteer position in your organization?
    • Does the job description explain the duties and expectations of the position clearly?
    • Are the training (basic and in-service) requirements explained in detail?
    • Are volunteers told when and how evaluations will be performed?
    • Does the job description identify who is their go-to person on staff should they need help?
  2. How clearly you articulate the expectations of the volunteer positions during a pre-training interview
    • Do you hand out job descriptions during your pre-training volunteer interview?
    • You can’t always count on people reading or paying attention to what you see as important in a job description. What is important and essential to you? Emphasize those things during your interview.
    • What kind of questions do you ask during the interview that will help you and the potential volunteer to determine if they are right for the position? We have all suffered from training potential volunteers only for either of us to find out the position did not align with their giftedness or abilities or passions.
  3. How well you hold volunteers accountable to the job they have agreed to perform?
    • Accountability is a tricky situation in volunteer programs. It is important to know what your expectations of volunteers in various positions are and how you will hold them accountable for what they are signing up for.
    • How many days, hours per week or month are expected? What happens if they cannot fulfill those hours?
    • What kind of training – basic, on-the-job, and in-service training is expected? What happens if they continually do not fulfill these requirements?

Will you let me do it?

  1. How do you ease your volunteers into visiting with clients?
  2. Who in your organization are the best people for newly-trained volunteers to shadow? Who in able to show new volunteers how what they learned in the basic training applies in real-life situations?
  3. When and how do you release them to try it on their own?

Will you help me when I need it?

  1. Does every volunteer know who they can go to if and when they need help?
    • An organizational chart shared during training as well as on the job descriptions is great for this, especially if you are a larger Center with a variety of paid staff.
  2. How do you evaluate volunteers without being in “the room” with them right away?
    • Follow-up with volunteers after their initial sessions with clients. Ask clear concrete questions that reinforce what they were taught in basic training. Use the list of the Seven Fundamentals.
    • Read their client documentation notes
    • Ask them to use the self-evaluation sheet found in the Equipped to Serve Training manual.
  3. What kind of notes do you keep on each volunteers strengths and weaknesses that can help you engage with them when they need help? It is helpful to keep these types of notes in their personnel files.

Will you let me know how I am doing?

  1. What are your plans for yearly volunteer evaluations?
    • Are they conducted on the yearly anniversary of when a volunteer started?
    • Is there an evaluation season or time of year where everyone gets evaluated?
    • Do volunteers get a chance to give feedback/evaluations to the staff?  When? How?
  2. Who conducts these evaluations?
  3. What should the criteria be for evaluations?
    • The evaluation should be based on the volunteer’s job description and expected levels of the skills taught during training
  4. How will you create the time or a system that would enable this to happen?
    • How can you create time in a staff members schedule to enable this happen? If you do not make a plan for evaluating volunteers they are likely not to happen.
    • I like to look at this process with volunteers more as coaching than strict evaluation.
    • This is the best way to keep your organization healthy. Coaching gives everyone a chance to be encouraged & praised in the areas they are doing well and look at areas that might need some improvement in a hopefully non-threatening environment.

I will go into more depth and develop a few helpful worksheets as I delve deeper into these topics in the coming months.

Please let me know where you might need help in these areas. Drop me an email or use the contact form.

Thanks for all you do and how you love on your volunteers!