You can also find tips for recruiting volunteers in the webinar recording . So feel free to watch the webinar or read this blog article. Just learn in the way that is best for you!

How can I recruit volunteers?

Are you part of an NGO that is going through a process of change? Every change needs support. Hence new volunteers. This blog explains step by step how the volunteer recruitment process works successfully.

So we’re going to take a look at how you can find your dream volunteers. This blog post makes it easy! We look for the right person for your organization who meets these requirements. A person you need for your tasks. Someone who just fits into your team. So it’s not such an easy task, but if you have the right instructions, nothing can go wrong.

You can find more blog posts here .

How do I find volunteers?

Your goal should be for the volunteers to contact you. It is therefore important that you make it as easy as possible for the volunteers to contact you. After they reach out to you, it’s important that you strike up a conversation with them. This is for the purpose of determining if you get along well. That’s why it’s crucial to make it as easy as possible for people to reach your organization. You can ask them questions and vice versa. So your goal is this: to get the first call .

So, before you start your recruitment process, it’s important to start with these two questions: “Who?” and what?”.

I want you to close your eyes for two minutes now. Just imagine your preferred candidate. Who would be my dream candidate for this position? If I could wish for someone, who would that person be?

Who would be my dream volunteer?

The following questions will help you in your search. The more detailed you think about it beforehand, the better you can start your search.

How old is my Super Volunteer?
Does gender matter?
What should be his or her motivation for joining my organization?
How much time should this person have?
What special skills would he or she need to have?
Would he or she have to speak a certain language?
Should he or she have work experience?

When you’re looking for someone , you’re actually not looking for anyone . You may know that from the ads?! If the ad doesn’t specifically address you, then you don’t feel addressed. That’s why it’s so important to your strategy that you identify a clear audience you want to target.

I recommend you run different targeted campaigns for different groups of volunteers. So you should divide your entire target group that you want to reach into smaller groups of people and run targeted campaigns there. Because if you just ask for everyone, you tend to reach fewer people.

What are your sweet spots?

Recruiting volunteers is like dating. You imagine your volunteer as the perfect addition to your team. People who would like to volunteer are also looking for the perfect organization. So you need to identify your sweet spots. The things that make your organization or volunteer work special. What makes engaging with you irresistible?

Here are a few questions to help you identify your sweet spots:

What does a task include?
What’s the funny thing about it?
Does volunteering have to be time-consuming?
Is volunteering tied to a specific day?
Can I accommodate people with special needs?
Is volunteering possible in a specific location or remotely?
Do you offer perks like special events, discounts, training, or networking opportunities?
What is the onboarding process like?

In the end, it is important to ask yourself: Who is the person who will be in contact with the volunteers? Nobody wants to communicate with an anonymous organization. Therefore, you should direct your recruitment process to designate one person on your team to be the point of contact for your volunteers.

What is really important to you?

It’s so important that you differentiate between the things that are very important to you and things that would just be nice to have. In this way you can ensure that your standards are not too low, but not too high either. It’s good to have an idea of where you want to go, but also to be open to surprises.

Our goal: the first conversation

Remember, our goal is to have the first conversation. So if you want to get the first interview, it is good for the other part to know how to arrange an interview with you. Explain what the onboarding process looks like on the website in a very straightforward way. It makes sense to write down the different steps each volunteer has to go through to join your team. Of course, onboarding processes can differ depending on the task and commitment. Please also describe the deviations and special cases. Very important: Always keep an eye on your target group and their needs!

Finally!

Now we’ve seen who your Super Volunteer is. You’ve seen what you need to think about beforehand. You also understand what the onboarding process should look like. Now you are really ready to make your offer of engagement to the larger community. You are now ready to find your volunteer!