Equipped to Serve

Preparing volunteers to serve with confidence & integrity.

Volunteer Screening

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!

How Do You Screen Your Volunteers?

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Photo by mentatdgt from Pexels

What procedures do you use when screening potential volunteers? This process can be so helpful to find the volunteers you need for the variety of positions you are trying to fill. Finding the right person for the job is essential in utilizing both your time and effort and allowing them to understand the commitment you are asking them to make.

A volunteer screening process should include the following:

  1. Volunteer application
  2. References
  3. Detail job descriptions
  4. Security checks
  5. Interview questions

Volunteer Application

            What do you want to know about a potential volunteer before you meet them? How can you ask questions that will gather that information on an application? The application should help a potential volunteer determine if they are “right” for the job.

References

            What kind of references are you asking for? Be specific. You want the references to speak to the person’s ability to do what is required of the volunteer position. You might need different reference questions for different volunteer positions.

            How do you contact the references?  Do you email or snail-mail them a form or speak with them on the phone? I recommend speaking in person as you can gather more information. Know what you want to ask and why.

Here is an article about speaking with volunteer references that is very helpful.

Job Descriptions

            I gave a temple for developing job descriptions in a previous email blog. The most important thing to remember is to include as much detail as possible in the job description. Make sure you list, in detail, the training requirements and time commitment that you are looking for (weekly or monthly or yearly). The job description gives you something to talk about and emphasize in the volunteer interview.

Background  Checks  

            Below is a quote from from Good Hire about background checks for non-profit organizations. They can help with your background check needs.

“Nonprofits and volunteer organizations are mission-oriented and often serve vulnerable populations. Employee background checks are necessary—and often required—to protect your clients and ensure continued funding. Screening also helps protect assets, mitigate risk, and avoid potential liability lawsuits.”

There are a variety of other companies that also do background checks. Some state agencies often do not charge for volunteer organizations. Do your homework to be sure your ministry is compliant with state and federal regulations.

The Interview *

When possible, interview in person. It’s the most natural way of communicating, and you’re more likely to make a fair judgement about the applicant when they’re standing before you (of course in-person interviews may not be possible in all situations).

Before you ask your volunteer interview questions: 

Take some time to introduce yourself and your organization. Clarify your program’s mission and describe the role and responsibilities of the volunteer.  Discuss the benefits of volunteering with your organization. Remember, the interview is also a chance for the candidate to decide whether the volunteer opportunity is right for them. In fact, many candidates will make this decision during or immediately following the interview process. 

The volunteer interview should be a conversation, not an interrogation. Invite candidates to elaborate and ask questions in return, so that you can come to a collaborative decision about the best course of action moving forward. 

What are your goals for the volunteer interview?

  • To determine if the candidate’s values align with yours
  • To determine if the candidate has the skills and abilities necessary to perform tasks required of them
  • To learn more about the candidate’s background and personality
  • To learn more about the candidate’s passions and interests to better match them with the right volunteer opportunity
  • To learn more about what motivates your volunteers

Once you’ve established your goal(s) for the interview, you can make a list of the questions that will help you achieve your objectives.

*Click here to download some sample interview questions that I found on the Galaxy Digital website. Galaxy Digital sells volunteer management software but they have a great many resource articles in their Learning Center, which I highly recommend.

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.

Courage to Do What Needs to Be Done

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Photo by Sammie Vasquez on Unsplash

Here is the definition of courage that I found in the dictionary:

the ability to do something that frightens one; strength in the face of pain or grief.

It takes courage to persevere in this ministry. It is important to think about how to build or at least invite courage into your volunteer program.

Let’s think about this:

  • It takes courage to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
  • It takes courage to persevere in the face of women choosing abortion.
  • It takes courage to love.
  • It takes courage to believe that love wins.
  • It takes courage to pursue people who believe differently than we do.
  • It takes courage to choose relationship over being right.
  • It takes courage to listen to people’s difficult stories and painful choices.
  • It takes courage to be vulnerable.
  • It takes courage to believe that Jesus is in charge.
  • It takes at least some measure of courage to do almost everything that volunteers are asked to do, especially when meeting with clients.

So how do we build courage into our volunteer programs?

I think we must remind ourselves, as trainers and leaders, the courage it does, in fact, take to work with clients at the Pregnancy Center. Then we have to hold that reality as we plan all aspects of the volunteer program.

In all aspects of the volunteer program we can build in the reality of the courage it takes to volunteer.

  1. When recruiting volunteers it is important not to “sugar coat” what it means to work with clients. Our prayers must be that God sends us volunteers who are up to the task and come with willing and open hearts to learn how to interact with clients based on your ministry model.
  2. When screening potential volunteers we must ask the hard questions to help us  both understand what is the motivation behind their choice to volunteer.
  3. Volunteer training can give volunteers the skills they need to utilize when a situation arises where they need to be courageous. Having skills to help volunteers navigate their way through difficult client situations can provide them with the ability and strength they need to be courageous in the face of personal fears or pain and grief.
  4. Setting clear job expectations and giving regular positive and helpful feedback allows volunteers to know what is expected of them, how they are doing and that you are available to help them improve. This can sometimes be difficult and time consuming for staff. If this is not in place volunteers are often left wondering how they are doing or not knowing how to evaluate their own performance. Without standards, feedback and encouragement volunteer rarely grow in their abilities to work with clients.
  5. Encouraging volunteers with prayer and the word of God is invaluable. Finding scriptures, books quotes, films, etc. that will encourage them to live-out your ministry model is essential in building courage.
  6. I think any kind of volunteer appreciation should include a nod to the courage it takes to volunteer and continue to volunteer.

Courage in the Pregnancy Center ministry is like a muscle that your volunteers are constantly building with your help. How you screen, train, evaluate, encourage and appreciate volunteer are the tools that will help them build the courage muscle they need to become long-time volunteers in your ministry.

How are you building courage into your volunteer program?