This document outlines strategies for volunteer recruitment and retention. It discusses current trends showing women volunteer slightly more than men, and people in major cities volunteer less. Volunteering peaks from ages 45-54. Most volunteers want flexible, short-term roles due to time constraints. The document provides 4 steps for recruitment: identify roles, create position descriptions, identify ideal volunteers, and find them. It also discusses motivations using the Functional Approach and provides 4 steps for retention: support, performance management, recognition, and training.

1. Recruitment
&
Reten,on
Tara Cantwell
Volunteering Victoria

2. Session
outline
• Current
trends
in
volunteering
• Learn
strategies
for
recruitment
for
any
demographic
• Learn
strategies
for
reten,on
for
any
demographic
2
www.volunteeringvictoria.org.au

3. Current
trends
and
demographics
• Women
are
slightly
more
likely
to
volunteer
(38%)
than
men
(34%).
• People
in
the
major
ci,es
are
less
likely
to
volunteer
(34%)
than
people
in
other
areas
(42%).
• Peak
of
volunteering
in
the
45–54
age
group
• Rates
of
volunteering
have
grown
in
sport,
religion
and
educa,on,
but
have
declined
in
community
services
and
emergency
management.
• People
who
work
are
more
likely
to
volunteer
(40%)
than
people
who
are
unemployed
(20%)
or
not
in
the
labour
force
(31%).
3
www.volunteeringvictoria.org.au

4. Current
trends
and
demographics
• On
average
people
volunteer
for
1
hour
per
week
• More
volunteers
want
roles
that
are
flexible,
or
require
shorter
hours
or
a
shorter-­‐term
commitment.
Volunteers
are
now
more
likely
to
spend
shorter
periods
of
,me
in
mul,ple
roles.
• More
people
are
volunteering,
but
for
less
,me
than
in
the
past.
• People
are
increasingly
,me
poor,
and
volunteering
ac,vi,es
compete
with
greater
work
and
caring
responsibili,es.
• People
are
also
more
mobile
than
in
the
past,
making
it
less
likely
that
a
volunteer
will
stay
for
many
years
in
a
single
role
4
www.volunteeringvictoria.org.au

5. 4
Steps
for
successful
recruitment
1. Iden,fy
all
volunteer
roles
2. Create
a
posi,on
descrip,on
3. Iden,fy
some
ideal
volunteers
4. Establish
where
and
how
to
find
them
5
www.volunteeringvictoria.org.au

6. Volunteer
Mo8va8on
The
Func8onal
Approach
(Clary
et
al.,
1998)
• Values:
giving
back
to
the
community
• Understanding:
learn
more
about
something
• Social:
strengthen
certain
social
rela4onships
• Career:
gain
career
related
experience
• Protec,ve:
reduce
nega4ve
feelings
eg
guilt
• Enhancement:
develop
psychologically
eg
improve
self
esteem

7. Who
is
your
target
audience?
• Re8rees?
• Youth?
• Corporate
volunteer?
• Someone
from
a
Culturally
and
Linguis,cally
diverse
background
What
are
the
interests
of
this
group?
What
are
they
likely
to
read?
How
do
they
like
to
be
communicated
with?

8. Go
volunteer
8

9. Go
volunteer
Benefits
• Used
Australia
wide
• Most
Volunteer
resource
centers
use
the
service
• Easy
customer
service
• Reminders
to
renew
your
ad
every
month
*
Must
have
volunteer
insurance
to
register
9

10. 4
Steps
for
Successful
Reten8on
1. Support
and
supervision
2. Performance
management
3. Recogni,on
&
apprecia,on
4. Ongoing
training

11. 12
steps
to
great
support
Buckingham
and
Coffman
“First,
Break
All
The
Rules”
Staff
who
are
well
supported
can
answer
‘yes’
to
the
following
12
ques,ons.
1. Do
I
know
what
is
expected
of
me
at
work?
2. Do
I
have
the
materials
and
equipment
needed
to
do
my
work
correctly?
3. At
work
do
I
have
the
opportunity
to
do
what
I
do
best
every
day?
4. In
the
last
7
days
have
I
received
recogni,on
or
praise
for
good
work?
5. Does
my
supervisor
or
someone
at
work
seem
to
care
about
me
as
a
person
6. Is
there
someone
at
work
who
encourages
my
development?
7. At
work
do
my
opinions
count
8. Does
my
company’s
purpose
make
me
feel
like
my
work
is
important?
9. Are
my
co-­‐workers
commiied
to
doing
quality
work?
10. Do
I
have
a
best
friend
at
work?
11. In
the
last
6
months
have
I
talked
to
someone
about
my
progress?
12. This
year,
have
I
had
opportuni,es
at
work
to
learn
and
grow?

12. Recogni8on
and
apprecia8on
You
have
been
given
a
small
grant
that
allows
you
to
celebrate
volunteers
for
Na,onal
Volunteer
Week.
Based
on
your
volunteer
target
audience
-­‐
what
would
you
do?
Could
you
include
2
different
op,ons
to
allow
for
different
mo,va,ons?

13. Summary
4
steps
recruitment
1. Roles
2. posi,on
descrip,on
3. ideal
volunteer
4. Where
and
how
to
find
them
4
steps
for
reten8on
1. Support
and
supervision
2. Performance
management
3. Recogni,on
&
apprecia,on
4. Ongoing
training
13

14. 14
Level
2/491
King
Street
West
Melbourne
VIC
3003
Ph
03
8327
8500
Fax
03
8327
8599
ABN
79
378
017
212
Volunteering
Victoria
is
endorsed
as
a
Deduc,ble
Gin
Recipient
(DGR)
www.volunteeringvictoria.org.au