Volunteering is a two-way process. A volunteer has to decide whether the roles and responsibilities given to them by an organisation work for them. The organisation also needs to find volunteers who fit the opportunities they offer. Are both parties getting the best out of themselves? Do volunteers feel they’re helping out in the most effective way they can?

Make sure you take the time to really get to know your volunteers. Find opportunities that really fit into who they are and what they’re interested in. So, how can you find out what your volunteers are interested in?

The art of asking…

The simple answer is to ask. But really, there’s a lot more to unpack. As pandemic restrictions have come to a close in the UK, the chance to meet volunteers face-to-face is back. If you’re looking to meet with potential volunteers, keep it relaxed and informative. Let your volunteers open up to you.

The main thing is to make sure your potential volunteers feel at ease.

We’ve heard a lot of talk about post-pandemic social anxiety, so we’ve made a quick checklist to help ease your worries and make sure you have everything you need heading to a meeting…

  • Make sure your future volunteer has your contact details – it will be useful to them, just in case! 
  • Meet at an informal, relaxing venue. Why not position it as two people going for a coffee to catch up. Let them know it will just be an informal chat. 
  • Think about some open questions you could ask to get conversation going and learn more about why they would like to volunteer. Is there anything in particular they are interested in helping with? 
  • It’s a two-way process! Expect to answer some questions a potential volunteer might have about what they’ll be taking on.

Take a look at this Charity Comms post about how to communicate with your volunteers! 

Can unique interests help volunteer roles?

While many volunteers are matched to opportunities based on their capabilities, it’s a nice touch to see if they have any personal interest in exploring something new. Dig a little deeper into what types of opportunities your volunteers are looking for and if you can accommodate them, why not give them a chance!

We all know that while volunteers want to help, they also want to get something out of it too. By helping in roles/responsibilities they’re maybe not well versed in, they’re learning something new. This means your organisation ends up with a pool of volunteers with a wider range of capabilities on offer. 

If you can’t meet a potential volunteer, why not create a quick interest questionnaire? Completed questionnaires can help you understand more on how your volunteers want to use their skills to help the organisation and those in need. It also helps the organisation make no preconceived judgements on where a volunteer would be “most useful.”

In addition, this information helps determine what opportunities a volunteer tends to jump on. Knowing their interests can help keep them engaged and returning to help. 

Are you delegating or dumping volunteer roles? 

“Skilled delegation of volunteer team duties is an art that many managers, even experienced ones, struggled with.” 

Before matching volunteers, it’s always a good idea to double check your delegation. We’re all busy, and while we try to communicate with each other the best we can, your delegation could leave a volunteer feeling unsatisfied. You may find that a volunteer will have problems if their skills or interests are being ‘ignored’…

I’m sure some may have experienced a frustrated volunteer. They may feel opportunities or tasks are ‘dumped on’ them, or that they are left to complete tasks on their own. Not only does this decrease productivity but it also wears down team morale and retention rates.

If a volunteer feels under-valued, or they aren’t happy with how they’re volunteering, it’s likely they won’t return. How you delegate is something everyone should be taking a look at. Improving your delegation skills means you can meet everyone’s needs and gives you the strongest chance to make a difference within your organisation.

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