The following tools are useful when planning for and utilising volunteers in Formal Volunteering Programs.
Pre-Recruitment Checklist
Have staff been consulted regarding volunteer involvement and are they clear on what their role will be
in working with the volunteer?
Is there a clear infrastructure of support and supervision established for the involvement of volunteers?
Is there information available about volunteering in your organisation?
Do we have a good idea of what kind of volunteer we are looking for?
Do we have a good idea of what kind of application we are NOT looking for?
Is there a job description written for this position?
Do the position descriptions clearly identify the requirements of the role and outline both the purpose
and the nature of the work to be done?
Are recruitment, interview and induction process for volunteers in place?
Is there an appropriate person to interview and support volunteers through the process?
Is there an agreed process for determining the suitability and job-match for volunteers?
Do we know what we will do with unsuitable applicants?
Have we got enough work (and meaningful work) for them to do?
Dont
Ask leading questions
Make decisions too early
Shorten the interview so that all the information required is not obtained from or by the potential
volunteer
Talk too much
Let the conversation wander
Let prejudices interfere
Judge on personality alone
Concentrate on the next question rather than listening to responses
Allow interruptions
Believe everything you are told
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Do:
Allocate an appropriate amount of time for the interview conversation
Read the potential volunteers application prior to the interview
Find a comfortable place free of interruptions for your conversation
Recognise that the potential volunteer is likely to be nervous about being interviewed and try to help
them feel comfortable
When asking questions of the potential volunteer try to ask open ended questions that encourage the
applicant to provide information. Open ended questions usually start with what, how, where,
when, why or who.
Listen and be honest
Remember the 80/20 rule where the potential volunteer should do eighty percent of the talking during
the interview
Seek information from the applicant including:
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capacity and potential for involvement based on skills, experience, knowledge and abilities,
values and attitudes
issues of concern to them
some insight into their work style and preferences
clarification of their expectations
their interests, abilities and motivations
how these might match with appropriate roles
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Interview Questions
What is your reason/ motivation for wanting to volunteer?
Understanding the reasons why people want to volunteer is useful in identifying and maintaining volunteers
motivation and making an appropriate work match.
What are the things you like to do and can do fairly well?
Here you try to explore the current skills, knowledge, interests and potential of the volunteer.
What are the things you would like to do or have an interest in learning?
Too often interviewers only focus on current skills and abilities, without realising the enthusiasm and
commitment of volunteers to learn new skills and abilities. Questions such as these are critical if you wish to
focus on capacity and potential.
What are the things you do not want to do and are clearly off limits?
What have you enjoyed least about your previous volunteer/work roles?
What were the major challenges of your previous volunteer experiences?
What areas within the volunteer Program do not interest you and why?
Volunteers are not expected to do every type of work within the Volunteer Program. What are you not
comfortable or not interested in doing?
Here the interviewer seeks to identify what volunteers dislike and don't want to do, but feel awkward about
raising.
Do you have any special needs or requirements in doing this work?
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