Volunteer Screening: How to Strengthen Bonds from First Touch
Many leaders of volunteers think of volunteer screening primarily as a risk management strategy or as a way to keep unsuitable people out of your organization.
While that may be partially true, I think it’s time we went beyond treating volunteers as people we might meet on dating apps – do they meet our “must haves” or do we need to “swipe left” and keep moving?
After all, we don’t assess whether major donors are a good fit. We don’t check their backgrounds to make sure that their private lives won’t reflect badly on our organization. We simply accept the funds as a gesture of goodwill and solidarity.
Perhaps we ought to give volunteers the benefit of the doubt, too. Rather than viewing each volunteer as a potential hazard, perhaps we should see them for what they are – potential partners with infinite potential in helping us move our missions forward.
Perhaps the term ”volunteer screening” is an outdated one.
I’m not suggesting that background checks aren’t helpful or necessary. When volunteers are working with vulnerable populations or have access to the confidential information of clients, then background checks may be needed.
However, it may be time to ask – does our current level of screening match the task at hand?
Furthermore, are volunteers held to the same standards as paid staff? Or are they required to do more when it comes to suitability for a role? And is this equitable?
Nonprofits around the world are struggling to build back their volunteer capacity since the COVID-19 pandemic decimated their ranks of active supporters.
Perhaps now is a good time to ask – how can we make volunteerism easier, not harder? Your volunteer screening practices may be a good place to start.
Below are a few ways to approach volunteer screening as a human-centric enterprise, to strengthen relationships, build mutual trust, and explore the unique human potential in each individual.
Reframing Volunteer Screening Interviews as a Two-Way Conversation
Interviews can be a wonderful opportunity to more deeply understand the motivations of your applicant through two-way conversations.
Interviews with prospective volunteers are the first step in developing a potentially rich partnership. They’re not unlike a first date — you’re there to see who that person is about, to share what you’re about, and to see if there’s anything in common. If they do work out, hopefully, that first date will lead to true love and a genuine partnership!
As such, interviews with this focus are more a conversation than an interrogation. They are two-way. They shouldn’t be all about you and your organization’s needs. Interviewers should plan to spend 50% of the time listening.
This can help boost volunteer retention down the road, too. The better you know and understand your volunteer’s needs and interests, the better prepared your organization is to try to meet them.
To better understand the motivations, skills, capabilities, and interests of prospective volunteer, download our free Volunteer Interview Questions Cheat Sheet HERE >>
Four Helpful Things to Learn from Volunteer Applicants
When meeting with potential volunteers, there are several topics that are helpful to understand.
1) What are the causes they support?
This will help you better understand their passions. If they don’t mention anything that closely resembles your mission, you may want to consider helping them find a better match elsewhere — sort of like your friend who dated the nice guy, not right for her, but would you like him?
Volunteers who feel close emotional connections to the organization’s mission are more likely to become deeply engaged and stay. These are the folks you want to attract.
However, in most cases, volunteers have found their way to you because of what you do. Use this opportunity to also educate them further on your impact area and how volunteers have made a difference.
2) What are their “Must Have’s” and “No-No’s”?
There’s nothing more frustrating than, as a volunteer, being asked to do something that you’ve specifically communicated makes you uncomfortable. Volunteers are not being paid; they are contributing their valuable leisure time. So, it needs to be enjoyable for them.
Therefore, they get to have a say in what they’re assigned and what they’re rather not do.
Make sure you know your volunteers’ taboos upfront. It doesn’t mean their interests won’t evolve over time. However, if most of what you need to be done isn’t what the prospective volunteer is interested in, see if you can find something that is. There are so many needs in cause-driven organizations. Let creativity be your guide.
It’s up to you to be more flexible than the volunteers. So, be creative about ways you can accommodate their talents. Everyone will not be a perfect fit, in terms of their “will” and skills. You need to plan for this. One way is to design your volunteer work around teams that share the workload. Then, volunteers can work together to divvy up the tasks that make sense to each team member.
3) What sparks their joy as a volunteer?
Similarly, you will also want to know what brings them the most joy. Ask them directly — “If this volunteer experience was a perfect “10”, what would it look like in your eyes? What would you be doing? What would be happening?”
Pay attention to the tasks they describe themselves doing – these are likely the ones they enjoy and should be assigned. Also, this conversation will likely shed some light on what motivated them in the first place and give you some ideas about how to thank them for their service. Keep those notes – you’ll need them later when you’re planning your volunteer recognition activities.
4) Have they met your minimum qualifications for the role, or can they be trained up?
Some volunteer roles require certain fundamental skills, like using the computer. Your volunteer screening process should include communication of your core requirements and if there is training available for those who would like to learn.
Confidence is something that volunteers should feel in their new roles. So, if they will be taking part in training, be honest about what it will take to learn the skills they will be using. Also, always be willing to help them find something that is a better fit for their skill set.
Try to design your volunteer program around a broad range of activities – from more basic to highly skilled- so volunteers at any level can find a role that suits them.
Also, simply because someone has a skill, doesn’t mean they want to put it to use as a volunteer. For example, an executive who manages stressful corporate mergers all week long may not be interested in developing partnerships for your organization. They may be more interested in something simple and relaxing, like doing data entry. Honor that. And the only way you’ll know is by asking.
During the volunteer screening process, it’s also helpful to understand what current or potential barriers for volunteers may exist. Often what keeps people from commitment is a lack of understanding of what’s involved or a worry that may be unfounded.
Make sure your process uncovers hidden concerns that you can overcome together.
How to Help Volunteers Overcome Common Barriers to Service
Volunteer screening involves more than simply discussions about availability and fit. It also involves some doubts and fears that may be holding volunteers back.
No matter how friendly your organization or how powerful your mission, volunteers must overcome a few emotional barriers and worries before they will make a wholehearted commitment.
Your recruitment materials and screening process must supply the critical information they need to calm their anxieties. Then, and only then, can you set the stage for success.
Most volunteer applicants have unexpressed concerns, large and small.
These worries vary from person to person, based on their own experience and current set of life challenges. They might also be precipitated by the volunteer’s own identity and sense of self.
If they are insecure about their capabilities, for example, they may be unable to ultimately make a commitment to a more complex role without some reassurance from you and others.
As a person responsible for volunteer screening, it’s up to you to unearth and understand the unexpressed concerns of your volunteer applicants and address them directly. The following are some common worries you might see.
Common Volunteer Concerns or Barriers
- How long will it take to process my application?
- Will I be able to have a real impact, or will I be wasting my time?
- Do I really have enough time to follow through on my commitment?
- Will I be asked to do more than my original commitment?
- Can I afford it (the transportation, childcare, time off work, etc.)?
- What, exactly, will they be asking me to do?
- Will I be comfortable doing it?
- Will I fit in with others?
- Will I be treated kindly?
- Will I know what to do and how to do it?
- Will I be safe from illness or injury?
- Will this add more stress to my life or make it more fun?
- What do I do if I’m not happy with my volunteer role or the organization?
There are a few things you can do to calm any trepidations your potential supporters may have about volunteering in your screening process.
First, take these concerns seriously. Take time to understand each volunteer’s motivations and any concerns they may have. Take time to address them.
Sometimes testimonials from other volunteers and people you serve can help. Other times it’s simply reassurance or more information that can help volunteers overcome their reluctance. Try posting a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section on your website. End the internal psychological barriers that might be keeping people from joining your team.
Volunteer screening may remain an important part of your risk management strategy. Volunteer applications, background checks, and reference checks may help you decide if the applicant could prove risky to your organization.
But don’t forget that volunteer screening should be a two-way street. Your first touchpoints with volunteers are a way to connect with people, heart to heart, who genuinely want to make a difference.
For ideas on how to integrate volunteer recognition early on, check out How to Appreciate Volunteers Through Every Lifecycle Stage HERE >>
Your volunteer screening activities can go far beyond simply keeping people out. They can become essential tools for relationship building.
This process can become a fantastic way to learn more about the people in your community and their hopes and dreams.
In addition, your volunteer screening process can become a wonderful way to get clear on what will keep each volunteer happy, and are a helpful step toward attracting and matching the right volunteers with the right jobs.
