Volunteers can be a wonderful and vital asset to an organisation, but also time consuming and an organisational risk. I regularly hear the same story: well-intentioned souls came along to help out in the early days, but now the organisation is bigger it has got a little hard to manage. There is no structure, clear definition of what’s needed, and it’s a bit awkward to ask long-standing volunteers to do things differently. In short, managing them starts to become a bit of a headache, and you want to change things ready for growth.

I absolutely love working with volunteers, it can be an uplifting and inspiring environment. However, after personally recruiting, training and managing hundreds of volunteers over the years, I’ve honestly seen it all! And learnt what works and doesn’t work – often the hard way.

It should be a reciprocal relationship, where volunteers feel valued and fulfilled whilst still adding value to the organisation in whatever way you need. Yes, volunteers are giving up their time for free, but they can also gain a lot from a rewarding volunteer placement so you should feel assured in what you want them to do.

The answer? Strong recruitment processes and effective management techniques. Without the right processes and people in place, it leaves you open to reputational risk, operational difficulties, and vulnerable to things going wrong.  With an emphasis on safer recruitment and inclusivity, I can support with:

-          Recruitment processes – from role descriptions, interviews and background checks, 

                    to induction, policies and rewards;

-          Safer recruitment - proper checks and balances

-          Agreements, code of conduct and policies

-          Rewards, retention, supervision and ongoing management

-          Strategy / impact / reporting

-          Troubleshooting any challenges

-          Building confidence in setting boundaries

-          Supporting or training your volunteer management staff

I can review what you’ve already got, implement new processes, offer training, be a sounding board, or offer practical support and advice. Sometimes it’s good to have an external pair of eyes.

Do contact me for a chat about what you might need.

Here is a little video I made with a top volunteer recruitment tip (on a lovely, warm sunny day!)