How to recruit volunteers

Recruiting new volunteers is an opportunity to introduce new energy and ideas to your charity, and is a process that needs to be well prepared to ensure both the volunteer and your charity benefit from the experience. As volunteers are offering up their time and effort free-of-charge, Charity Retail shares the importance of organisations continuing to adapt their recruitment strategies to attract volunteers and build a motivated and engaged volunteer base.

Our comprehensive guide below provides helpful information on how to prepare for recruitment and which strategies will be effective in securing you volunteers.

Recruitment preparation

To begin the recruitment process, it’s important that you decide the role and duties the volunteer will be performing, and how you will support them. We recommend that you:

• Write a volunteer role description: Volunteers should have a clear understanding of their role and what is expected of them. Include who the volunteer would report to, the desired qualifications, skills and personal qualities, and basic information such as location and work hours. NCVO suggests including the difference the volunteer will make to your cause, helping to show how appreciated they would be.
• Draw up a volunteer agreement: It can be useful to draw up a volunteer agreement for your charity, including best practice guidelines and principles. You can also use this agreement to provide a basis for determining performance and activity levels, and the ideal outcomes of volunteer work.

A volunteer role description should only outline the expectations of a volunteer – you must ensure you are not implying that a volunteer is under contract to carry out certain tasks.

10 ways to recruit volunteers

Recruiting volunteers can be challenging but immensely rewarding. To help your organisation benefit, here are 10 effective strategies to attract and engage volunteers to your cause.

1. Simple application

A user-friendly application form can encourage more people to sign up. CharityJob revealed how an accessible application not only leads to receiving more applications, but it also helps you to diversify your volunteers. Ensure your application process is straightforward and accessible – design a simple, easy-to-understand form for applicants to fill in, taking into account expectations and equal opportunities.

2. Newsletters

Send out regular newsletters and email campaigns to your existing supporters, including calls to action for volunteer recruitment and highlighting upcoming opportunities. You can also take this opportunity to highlight success stories, sharing testimonials and stories of how volunteers have made a difference: real-life examples are always ideal for inspiring new volunteers to get involved.

3. Word-of-mouth

Personal recommendations can be powerful tools in recruiting new volunteers, so make sure to encourage your current volunteers and supporters to spread the word within their personal networks. Taking advantage of word-of-mouth referrals will help you to keep marketing costs down and create a volunteer base organically.

4. Local press

Sharing your opportunities on local publications and radio stations helps you to reach a new audience of readers and listeners. Volunteer management solution, Rosterfy, reported that many local press platforms offer discounted rates for non-profits and charities, so you are able to advertise for a much lower cost.

5. Online presence

Building a strong online presence is essential to draw in potential volunteers. Maintain an updated and engaging website with clear information about volunteer opportunities and interesting content related to your organisation. You can also post volunteer opportunities on popular volunteer recruitment websites, such as VolunteerMatch and Idealist, to help you reach a wider audience.

6. Social media

Leverage social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to spread the word. Share inspiring stories and testimonials from current volunteers, as well as updates and opportunities, to attract new recruits. For Reach Volunteering, sharing on socials has helped them to attract new volunteers every day, even in more obscure and less common skill sets.

7. Partnerships

Make use of corporate social responsibility initiatives and partner with businesses that encourage employee volunteering. These kinds of partnerships can give you a reliable and returning group of willing and skilled volunteers. Utilise these partnerships to help grow your reach and introduce your organisation to those who want to help.

8. Diverse opportunities

Develop a range of volunteer roles that cater to different interests, skills, and time commitments, offering both short-term and long-term opportunities. Creating compelling opportunities gives volunteers the chance to enjoy something different whilst benefiting your organisation. NCVO revealed that time has been a common barrier to volunteering, making way for a positive reception to flexible volunteering opportunities.

9. Local communities

Collaborate with local community centres, schools, and businesses to promote your volunteer opportunities. Utilising local organisations’ networks through joint initiatives can broaden your reach and attract more volunteers. Donorbox shares how connecting with local social and professional clubs, memberships groups, and community groups can all make for excellent volunteer resources.

10. Events

Organise events, such as webinars, or informal in-person meet-ups, where potential volunteers can learn about your organisation, meet the team, and ask questions. You can also attract a large number of potential volunteers by organising volunteer fairs where multiple organisations can come together to recruit volunteers.

Interview

An interview gives you the opportunity to assess your candidate and consider how they will fit into your organisation’s culture. As candidates are offering their time to your organisation, it’s important to discuss their motivations for working as a volunteer: is it their belief in your charity’s cause, wanting to give something back, or simply being able to socialise and meet new people. Indeed shares how understanding your volunteer’s motivations will help you to assess if they resonate with your organisation’s missions, and whether their passions align.

After you have been able to identify their skills and motivations, you can assess whether they would be a suitable volunteer for your organisation.

Once you have decided on a volunteer, ensure that a DBS check is carried out if they will be working with vulnerable people or children.

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Please note: This article provides guidance for information purposes only. It should not be relied upon wholly when making or taking important business decisions – always seek the services of an appropriately qualified professional. The views expressed by websites referenced to are limited to those of the websites, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Markel Direct.