Reaching out to the community to fulfill a new volunteer opportunity can be hard, but by following this one rule, you can see greater success. When it comes to volunteer recruitment: be specific.
Volunteer Recruitment: Be Specific about the Volunteer Position
On community boards online and in person, volunteer need postings often go something like this:
“Volunteers Needed. Inquire at ___.”
While it’s great to see agencies reaching out to their community for help, vague descriptions like this just aren’t nearly as effective as they could, or should, be.
Put it this way: if a local business is hiring a new accountant, they will not post something like, “local company needs employee.” It’s just not specific enough. Will they get responses to their ad? Sure, but chances are, few if any applicants will qualify. The same applies to posting a volunteer need. The more specific you are about the volunteer position, the more qualified your respondents will likely be.
[bctt tweet=”The more specific the volunteer posting, the more qualified the respondents will likely be.” username=”HandsOn_Maui_”]
Volunteer Recruitment: Be Specific about the Volunteer Impact
Simply posting the details of your volunteer opportunity aren’t enough. To have the greatest impact, your posted need should also inspire action.
“Volunteers are not paid; not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” – Sherry Anderson
Unlike job seekers, potential volunteers seek work entirely for the experience and the good feeling that comes from helping a good cause. Their “pay” is that warm fuzzy feeling. Entice your volunteers to action by describing the importance of the work and how it helps your organization fulfill its mission in the opportunity description. It’s just as important as posting a position’s salary in a traditional job description.
By understanding the details of the volunteer opportunity as well as the impact that their work will have, great qualified volunteers will be inspired to respond to your organization’s need.
