Re-designing Volunteer Roles for the Modern World: Part 2

In the modern world, re-designing volunteer roles may be what separates successful nonprofits from those who struggle to connect with the right volunteer talent.

The fact is, volunteers are busier than ever, and the current volunteer roles aren’t as attractive as they once were.

At the same time, most nonprofits are doing more with less, and employees are stretched think. And without a sufficient workforce and the right expertise, they are bound to continue to struggle.

Volunteers can help reduce the strain on overworked employees and can help bridge the gap between the vision and the execution of a nonprofit’s mission.

But it requires some creative thinking and an open mind to design volunteer roles that meet both the organization’s needs and the lifestyles of today’s volunteers.

In part 1 of this blog series, we shared eleven diverse kinds of volunteer roles that nonprofits might choose to offer more variety and flexibility to their community supporters.

In part 2 , we break down a process for designing volunteer roles so that they are more appealing and approachable to your valued supporters.

People are my busy than ever. So, it’s vital that nonprofits design roles that volunteers can easily integrate into their lives and still make a meaningful difference.

Keep reading to learn how …

Re-Designing Jobs that are “Too Big”

Let’s start with your current expectations for volunteers. Are they too big to swallow?

If volunteers complain that a job is too overwhelming, it is likely either because it is not the right fit with the volunteer’s skills, capabilities, and preferences or because the job really is too big.

The scope of tasks may have expanded over time due to the expanded information needed to perform the job or because added duties have been added.

When volunteers struggle with the challenges of a big job, one possibility may be to find (or wait around) for the right volunteer to come along.

Another is to re-design the position so that it feels like a reasonable request for most volunteers.

If you decide to re-design volunteer roles, consider inviting a group of volunteers to participate in the process. You may want to involve volunteers for two reasons:

First, volunteers, especially those who have dedicated many hours, and even years, of service may resist changes to the comfortable work roles and processes they have developed over the years.

They will be more amenable to change if they are directly involved in making it happen and have a say in what will ultimately affect them in a very direct way.

Second, the volunteers who perform the current jobs are subject matter experts in the tasks and their challenges. They have likely already thought of ways to improve things and will be able to provide the practical pros and cons of new proposals.

So, when re-designing volunteer roles, don’t go it alone. Get your team involved!

Before you design roles, check out What is a Volunteer? The Difference Between Supporters & Employees HERE >>

When designing volunteer roles, use the following steps:

1. Identify all the primary areas of possible work (administrative, direct service, communications, management, etc.).

2. Brainstorm all the tasks that need to be completed within each work area. Be sure to complete a thorough inventory and break down larger tasks into smaller, discreet chunks. You may begin to see complementary tasks that could be integrated into a single work process.

3. Assess the frequency and timing of each task (e.g., twice-a-day, every Monday from 3-6pm, by the first of the month, etc.). This step is important in deciding which tasks can be done by volunteers and which by paid staff. This may also help unearth ways to create a more efficient workflow by consistently assigning tasks to the same position that are to be completed at or around the same time.

4. Rate the complexity of each task (low, medium, high). This is important in deciding the minimum qualifications, training and support needed for each role. In addition, tasks with similar complexities might be combined under one role, so that the most effective use can be made of volunteer talent at each level.

5. Design new roles and check to be sure each holds the three elements of job satisfaction:

Task Variety — uses the different skills and talents of the volunteer
Task Identity — allows the volunteer to complete some tasks from beginning to end
Task Significance — the volunteer believes the job has a substantial impact on others and the organization’s mission

6. Create volunteer position descriptions for each role that reflect the desired qualifications, minimum time commitment, training and support provided and how the position relates to the overall mission of the organization and the goals of the program.

An Alternate to Re-designing Volunteer Roles: Make Volunteer Work Easier

Instead of redesigning your volunteer roles, there are also other ways to help keep tasks from overwhelming volunteers and, at the same time, prevent burn out.

Here are a few ideas to try:

Reduce Effort through Technology and Automation — For example, instead of answering a statewide toll-free number at the central reception desk and then sending it to the right local program, have the toll-free number automatically forward calls based on call origination. Or, instead of hand-mailing volunteer application packets, make digital copies available on your website.
Reduce Mental Demands by Providing Job Aids and Ready Resources — Develop simple graphic tip sheets that outline key contacts, common work processes, etc. for easy reference. Post everything online, so critical information can be found at any time from any locale.
Try Triage or a Team Approach to Share the Load — For example, assign one team member to the intake portion of client service, while another completes the client counseling, and a third does the follow up. Alternatively, share clients amongst a team that is assigned different days of the week. When using either of these tactics, it’s important to increase the team communication and keep everyone in the loop on client progress. That way volunteers still feel they were an integral part of the larger solution.
Make it Clear When, Where and How to Ask for Help — Provide guidelines about how and when to make referrals, and to whom (both inside and outside the agency). Be truly clear about the scope of the volunteer’s work and the importance of relying on the proper community resources to help a client. Also, be sure to always offer backup to volunteers who are struggling with a task or are feeling overwhelmed. Let volunteers know that genuine support will be provided when they need it from time to time

Reduce the Bureaucratic Burden — Figure out how to simplify the administrative hoops volunteers must jump through to get something done. For example, provide them templates, and give them the freedom to create outreach materials without approval each time (but with training and guidelines supplied up front). If you can’t simplify the steps, at least shield volunteers from tedious, uninspiring work.

Finally, when designing volunteer roles make sure that you are engaging volunteers in an ethical and legal way.

For a rundown on the laws you need to be aware of, check out Volunteers and the Law: Legal Considerations for Your Nonprofit HERE >>

Volunteers are a special kind of dedicated supporter who wants to help you move your mission forward. Care should be taken to not exploit this goodwill in any way.

Organizations that invest in meeting volunteers half-way will reap the rewards of their attention and care.

Designing roles that meet volunteers’ needs as well as their own will help them attract supporters who find doable work in their offer.

What’s more, they can keep volunteers coming back with roles specifically designed to accommodate busy lifestyles and, at the same time, where supporters can still make a difference that matters.

FREE Tool: Map Your Volunteer Onboarding Journey

As you plan for your new roles, take steps to ensure your new volunteers stay happy. Sometimes nonprofits lose sight of what their new volunteers might need. So, take a moment to pause and consider their points of view.

A tremendous amount of time and energy goes into finding and selecting volunteer talent. Consider how a purposeful, integrated new volunteer induction process might ensure deeper commitment and foster future volunteer leaders.

Use our free Volunteer Experience Roadmap to chart your new volunteer journey step-by-step and see how it can help propel your mission forward.

Through thoughtful journey mapping, you can …

Enhance Value – What do volunteers need (or not need)?
Streamline Recruitment and Onboarding – What’s the most efficient way to go about things?
Deploy Team Members – What’s the best way to involve your team at each touch point?
Achieve Outcomes – What tools, technology, and training does the team need?