Directing and Managing Volunteers

This article focuses on the steps that an organization can take when developing a quality volunteer management system. Such a system is necessary in order to effectively direct and manage the activities of volunteers. Various models will be introduced and the role of recruitment, training, retention and recognition of volunteers is discussed.

Keywords For-profit Organizations; Human Resource Management; Non-profit Organizations; Recruitment; Retention; Training; Volunteers

Management > Directing & Managing Volunteers

Overview

There are many activities that rely on the assistance of volunteers. Volunteers are crucial to some organizations (especially non-profit organizations) as they have the ability to administer programs for their targeted audience. "Existing research has almost exclusively focused on the human resource management of employees working in large for-profit organizations, with non-profit organizations and volunteer dependent organizations receiving scant attention (Cuskelly, Taylor, Hoye & Darcy, 2006, p. 142). This article attempts to present some of the techniques that may be helpful in managing and directing volunteers in a variety of organizations. Volunteers do not receive a salary. Therefore, it is important to determine how an organization can recruit and retain loyal and hard working volunteers.

Before recruiting volunteers, it may be beneficial to have an effective internal system in place. Those managing the volunteers must establish processes, policies and procedures that will provide the volunteers with information about how the organization and programs are run. Some of the best practices can be documented based on the systems in place at a variety of organizations.

Three Step Volunteer Management System

In 2005, the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) established an effective volunteer management system that was based on three easy steps.

Step 1: Prepare for volunteers.

• Organizations can work on promotional opportunities concerning their organization prior to recruiting. One of the advantages for taking this approach is that it is possible to develop a network of potential volunteer candidates prior to the official recruiting campaign. Many people want to learn about an organization prior to volunteering their time. In addition, people want to know that their time is valued. Given the fact that the average person is juggling multiple and competing priorities, it is important to know that an organization is well organized and structured prior to making a commitment to give time, no matter how important the cause may be. Therefore, some of the following efforts should be in place prior to the recruitment of volunteers.
• Establish policies, procedures, and record-keeping systems, and document them in a volunteer handbook.
• Resolve legal and liability issues pertaining to volunteer involvement.
• Create systems for evaluating the performance of volunteers and the outcome of volunteer initiatives.
• Train volunteer recruiters to speak knowledgeably and enthusiastically about the organization's goals and programs.
• Review the organization's upcoming initiatives to identify volunteer needs. Every organization should make sure that there is a place for the volunteers.
• Create brief position descriptions for each volunteer role, including the pros and cons of volunteering.

Step 2: Recruit for volunteers.

Once the foundation has been laid in the first step, the organization may turn its attention to recruiting volunteers. Recruiting the right volunteers involves more than asking people to help out. Before recruiting individuals, it is best to look at what the organization's needs are. When conducting the needs assessment, some of the questions that should be asked include:

• Who is qualified for and interested in the position?
• Who is able to meet the time requirement of the position?
• Where can the organization find these people?
• What is the best way to approach potential recruits?

The type of recruiting strategy (i.e. targeted or broad based) is dependent on the outcomes of the needs assessment. Targeted recruitment is the preferred approach when the organization is attempting to find potential candidates with a specific set of skills, interests, and availability needed for a particular position. On the other hand, a broad based recruitment approach may be more appropriate when the projects require many volunteers and they only need a minimum amount of training.

Step 3: Recognize volunteers.

It is only human nature for people to want to receive recognition for the work that they have done on a project. Therefore, it is important for organizations to develop a reward and recognition system to honor the volunteers once the project has been completed. Recognition can take many forms, and it would be wise to poll the volunteers to see what is important to them. Examples of recognition efforts include:

• Making an announcement at organization/departmental meetings.
• Including a statement of recognition in the organization's newsletter and/or website.
• Sending personal thank you notes from the top leader of the organization (i.e. the president).
• Holding an annual dinner celebration for all volunteers.
• Offering complimentary benefits to volunteers.
• Presenting awards and inexpensive gifts for exceptional contributions.

Application

The Layered Approach

By following the three steps mentioned in the overview section, an organization has established a successful volunteer management system from the beginning to the end. Kent (1992) developed a manual which covered many of the same points. However, her concept had five crucial elements of a successful volunteer management program. The five elements were:

• Assessment of Needs: Ask questions such as: How many volunteers does the organization need; what tasks need to be done; and what skill should volunteers have. Basically, it is consistent with what was listed above.
• Recruitment: Devise a plan to identify and acquire the volunteers that are needed.
• Risk Management Audit, Interviewing and Screening: Assess the risk involved with volunteer positions. Create job descriptions for volunteer position. Ensure appropriate screening techniques because there may be some candidates that you do not need or want.
• Orientation, Training and Monitoring: Design an orientation process that will help the volunteers understand their roles. Provide a training program for volunteers to develop their skills. Initiate a continuous feedback and evaluation mechanism.
• Retention and Recognition: Develop techniques, events, and programs that acknowledge volunteers' contributions (Woods, 2006, p. 20).

Although Kent's model includes some of the approaches of the first model that was presented, there is a special focus on ensuring that a holistic approach is taken when utilizing the services of volunteers. Her position is that a successful volunteer management program requires a layered approach that takes risks, resources, and rewards into consideration (Forsyth, 1999). Balancing these considerations could be difficult given the type of organization and volunteers expressing interest. Although it's important to take the volunteers' wishes into consideration, those managing the volunteer function must ensure that the different types of risks are evaluated as well. Based on the assessment, the manager should assign each volunteer position a risk category & low, medium, or high.

Levels of the Layered Approach

There are three levels in the layered approach, according to Forsyth (1999), and they are:

• Layer 1 & Includes short-term volunteer opportunities such as one-time events, annual fundraising activities, or short-term program assistance ranging from a few hours to a few months. These volunteer positions are usually very low risk, with no access to vulnerable populations.

Layer 2 & Involves longer commitments, usually two to twelve months. Volunteer positions involved directly with programs and services often fall into this category. So do ad hoc board committees. Such committees are directed to a specific task and disbanded when the task is completed.

• Layer 3 & Tends to be the most intensive. It accommodates nonprofits' needs for long term volunteer commitments. Organizations that provide services to vulnerable populations usually require at least a one year commitment. This is particularly important when the volunteer works directly with clients. The long term volunteer position usually involves extensive screening, supervision, and evaluation. Board positions also fall into this layer since they usually require at least a one year term (Forsyth, 1999, p. 41).

When deciding on which layer to select, one should consider time and resources and impact and risk. Time and resources takes into consideration the length of the volunteer's task and the human recourses and materials needed to complete it. Impact and risk involves evaluating the impact the volunteer task has on the organization and the degree to which loss, injury or harm might occur during its completion.

Forsyth (1999) created a grid that integrates volunteer management elements with the layered approach.

Viewpoint

Management Perspective

The first step that every leader considering a volunteer management system should take is to analyze and evaluate why there is a need for such a system and what does it seek to create, expand, and/or improve. Unfortunately, most leaders provide answers that are one sided. Many organizations are not considering the needs and desires of the volunteers. Rather, the focus is on how the volunteers can lift some of the burden off of full-time staff members, especially when there isn't a budget to hire additional personnel. This type of perspective is what Ellis (1986) labeled as "second choice" versus "first choice" explanations for implementing a quality volunteer management system.

Instead of looking at this project as a reactionary task, many organizations would benefit from taking a proactive approach and creating a system that is cutting edge and futuristic. Tedrick and Henderson (1989) provided a list of the many benefits for taking the positive approach. Some of the advantages include:

• Volunteers offer credibility because they are not salaried. As a result, volunteers tend not to be motivated by personal financial gain. Rather, there is a desire to help others. In addition, volunteers can be objective evaluators when salary is not an issue. Volunteers can be direct and blunt without fearing retaliation, which is a concern of full-time employees.

• Volunteers tend to feel less pressure about performing tasks since they are the ones that have control when determining their schedule for activities.

• Volunteers are free to experiment and try new approaches versus playing it safe. Full-time employees tend to shy away from risks because they are unsure how their initiatives will affect their future employment and promotion opportunities.

• Volunteers are representative of the community in which they serve so they are excellent public spokespersons for an organization.

• Volunteers typically donate financial support as well as their time to organizations where they volunteer.

Conclusion

Before recruiting volunteers, it may be beneficial to have an effective internal system in place. Those managing the volunteers must establish processes, policies and procedures that will provide the volunteers with information about how the organization and programs are run. Some of the best practices can be documented based on the systems in place at a variety of organizations.

By following the three steps mentioned in the overview section, an organization can establish a successful volunteer management system from beginning to end. Kent (1992) developed a manual which covered many of the same points. However, her concept had five crucial elements of a successful volunteer management program.

Although Kent's model includes some of the approaches of the first model that was presented, there is a special focus on ensuring that a holistic approach is taken when utilizing the services of volunteers. Her position was that a successful volunteer management program required a layered approach that took risks, resources, and rewards into consideration (Forsyth, 1999). Balancing these considerations could be difficult given the type of organization and volunteers expressing interest. Although it's important to take the volunteers' wishes into consideration, those managing the volunteer function must ensure that the different types of risks are evaluated as well. Based on the assessment, the manager should assign each volunteer position a risk category & low, medium, or high.

The first step that every leader considering a volunteer management system should take is to analyze and evaluate why there is a need for such a system and what does it seek to create, expand, and/or improve. Unfortunately, most leaders provide answers that are one sided. Many organizations are not considering the needs and desires of the volunteers. Rather, the focus is on how the volunteers can lift some of the burden off of full-time staff members, especially when there isn't a budget to hire additional personnel. This type of perspective is what Ellis (1986) labeled as "second choice" versus "first choice" explanations for implementing a quality volunteer management system.

Terms & Concepts

For-profit Organizations: A business that operates in order to gain a profit.

Human Resource Management: The process of managing the use of a business’s human resources. The role was previously referred to as personal management, which focused strictly on handling recruitment, payroll, and discharging.

Non-profit Organizations: Economic institution that operates like a business but does not seek financial gain.

Recruitment: Act of seeking prospective new candidates or members for an organization.

Retention: The act of retaining, or the state of being retained.

Training: The way or method a person uses to learn a new task.

Volunteers: A person that works for an organization and does not receive a salary for services rendered.

Bibliography

Bowers, K.M., & Hamby Jr., W.L. (2013). An analysis of volunteer leader behavior: Self-reported measures. Academy of Business Research Journal, 38-21. Retrieved November 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=89186741&site=ehost-live

Cuskelly, G., Taylor, T., Hoye, R., & Darcy, S. (2006). Volunteer management practices and volunteer retention: A human resource management approach. Sports Management Review, 9(2), 141-163. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=23039049&site=bsi-live

Ellis, S. (1986). Budgeting for a volunteer program. Nonprofit World, 4(1).

Forsyth, J. (1999, May). Volunteer management strategies: Balancing risk and reward. Nonprofit World, 17(3), 40-43. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=13227831&site=bsi-live

Kent (1992). Effective organizations: A consultant's resource. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Skills Program for Management Volunteers.

Rafe, S.C. (2013). Motivating volunteers to perform. Nonprofit World, 31(5), 18-19. Retrieved November 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=90565068&site=ehost-live

Rodell, J.B. (2013). Finding meaning through volunteering: Why do employees volunteer and what does it mean for their jobs?. Academy of Management Journal, 56(5), 1274-1294.Retrieved November 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=91260204&site=ehost-live

Tedrick, T., & Henderson, K.A. (1989). Volunteers in leisure: A management perspective. Reston, VA: AAHPERD.

Three steps to effective volunteer management. (2005). Healthcare Executive, 20(1), 68. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=15458289&site=bsi-live

Woods, T.B. (2006). Rhetoric of volunteerism: Strategies to recruit and retain volunteers in nonprofit organizations. Retrieved December 4, 2007 from http://etd.gsu.edu/theses/available/etd-12042006-111138/unrestricted/woods_terry_b_200612_ma.pdf

Suggested Reading

Cuskelly, G., Taylor, T., Hoye, R. & Darcy, S. (2006). Volunteer management practices and volunteer retention: A human resource management approach. Sport Management Review, 9(2), 141-163. Retrieved December 14, 2007, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=23039049&site=bsi-live

Mirsky, J., Avgar, A., & Kaufman, R. (2004). A brigade model for the management of service volunteers: Lessons from the former Soviet Union. International Journal of Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector Marketing, 9(1), 57-68. Retrieved December 4, 2007, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=12126835&site=bsi-live

New fundraiser volunteer module eases management tasks. (2005, April). GUI Program News, 16(4). Retrieved December 4, 2007, from EBSCO Online Database Business Source Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=16463186&site=bsi-live