| |
Recruiting and retention of volunteers |   |
Volunteers are the lifeblood of all haemophilia organisations around the world. Therefore it is vital that organisations continue to recruit and retain volunteers. At a session at the Global NMO Training this issue was discussed. Here we try to give some of the highlights of the many ideas that were discussed.
Haemophilia organisations operate in a competitive environment with other non-profit organisations, all of which try to attract volunteers. Time is a precious commodity in our world and organisations must be focused and professional in order to get people to donate some of their time to the cause of the organisation.
In a session led by Hélène Bourgaize and Marion Stolte, both from the Canadian Haemophilia Society, participants at the Global NMO Training shared ideas on strategies for recruiting and retaining volunteers.
Ensuring a common goal
Before starting recruiting volunteers, the organisation must be able to define and communicate what it is they aim to do. This is the vision and mission statement of the organisation. More than just a slogan, the vision and mission should guide the work done in the organisation. For recruiting purposes the vision and mission statement helps clarify to potential volunteers what the organisation aims to do.
Even before the beginning of a recruiting campaign, the organisation should have an action plan for how to handle new volunteers. It is critically important that new volunteers are well received and quickly integrated into the organisation. Most likely this will involve an introduction to the organisation, to other volunteers and potentially to staff. Veteran volunteers may take on the role as mentors guiding the newcomers, explaining procedures and what ressources are available.
Have a clear message
It is useful to write a description of the job a volunteer is expected to perform. This job description should be written such that it gives the potential volunteer a clear idea of the tasks he or she is expected to do, what qualifications are needed and how much time should be spent. Experience shows that when the task at hand is clearly defined, it is easier to recruit people to do it.
The Canadian Haemophilia Society has a complete recruitment kit available, which includes a description of the history and organisation of the CHS, the vision and mission statement, templates for evaluation of volunteering effort and the job description.
Showing appreciation
The work does not stop once volunteers have been recruited. To keep them in the organisation they must continue to feel appreciation for their work, both from the society but also from fellow volunteers. At the session there were many ideas of how to show appreciation and recognision for the work done by volunteers.
Post you own comment