Effective Engagement of Today’s Volunteer: The Team Approach

On November 12, 2008 at the Silver Spring Conference Center, Betty Stallings trained an audience of 94 individuals which included volunteer managers, executive directors, board members and other leadership staff about how to improve volunteer programs through engaging staff more effectively.  

Here are a few highlights of Betty’s presentation:

• Volunteer managers who are not supported by their leadership team experience many negative emotions and thoughts, such as feeling under-valued, misunderstood, underpaid, undefined in their role and yet compelled to a “24/7” sense of duty. Understandably, this scenario leads to burn out and a quiet search for a new career field.

• When the coordinator of volunteers is valued, the difference is that his/her role is clearly defined as an important member of the management team, one who facilitates a shared sense of ownership with staff. The manager is highly motivated to improve the quality of the volunteer program and to equip staff by building commitment, capacity and competence into his/her skill set. The ideal situation occurs when the team views its volunteer manager as an internal consultant to the rest of the staff.

• One of the strengths of the morning session which included board members, executive directors and other leadership staff was that Betty Stallings advocated for the importance of a clearly defined role of the volunteer manager within agencies.  She said that the most important thing a volunteer manager can do is to ensure that the whole organization from top management to the staff that interacts with the volunteers realizes the value, benefit and importance of the volunteers and their efforts. To do this the volunteer manager must become an internal source of information, a trainer and facilitator for staff so that they also buy into, commit or take ownership of the idea that volunteers can be a valuable resource.

How is this accomplished?

First, look at and evaluate your volunteer program.  Does the program have money allocated to it in the budget for volunteer recognition, training, and office space?  Is responsibility for volunteers in staff job descriptions?  Are the volunteer efforts being tracked in ways that show what they have accomplished?  Also, this should not just be measured in numbers of hours, or $, but in terms of impact on those the organization serves.

Second, once you have a sense of where there are some weak areas, look at ways to upgrade your program.  Get the volunteer manager to be part of the Senior Management Team.  Raise the organization’s awareness of what is happening because of your volunteers.

Third, engage and involve your staff by helping them identify areas in which they need help and get their input into volunteer job descriptions.  Have staff interview and have some choice in the volunteers they will work with.  Have the immediate supervisors give feedback about volunteer performance and also give the recognition awards.

Fourth, get feedback from both the volunteers and the staff on their mutual working experience.  For example, ask for comments before and after each shift.  Ask the volunteers if there was anything that was missed in the orientation that would have prepared them better for their job duties.  Ask the staff if there was anything that could help them work better with the volunteers.

Fifth, build competency with your staff. If there is a volunteer manual, make sure the staff reads it and understands it.  Have a retreat and make the staff training time FUN! Find out from your staff what skills, competencies, knowledge, attitudes your volunteers need to have to be successful.  Make sure the lines of communication are open and go two ways. Most importantly make sure the staff understands that the volunteer’s interaction needs to be positive or that volunteer will be lost. A warm welcoming and goodbye at the reception desk is invaluable.  Teach the staff how to delegate responsibilities so the volunteer can have a worthwhile and interesting experience. If a volunteer doesn’t stay, find out the reasons from an exit interview. Conversely, if a volunteer doesn’t fit or behaves inappropriately, be sure the staff understands there are policies and procedures for disciplining and letting a volunteer go.

Sixth, emphasize ongoing training!  A good volunteer program depends of building relationships between staff and volunteers. Remind staff that the skills required in coaching, mentoring, managing volunteers are similar to those supervisors need in their jobs.  Give your staff opportunities to learn how to be better at these tasks. Staff should learn to model the behavior they want the volunteer to exhibit, and give them opportunity to practice it and receive feedback.