Managing volunteers Ian Steed

This session will: gallop through some of the underlying forces of volunteer management focus on the volunteer management cycle, and in particular recruitment and retention of volunteers pick up on some issues specific to EWB-UK

What roles do volunteers play? – Service delivery – Governance – Advocacy – Admin – Fundraising – Management – Expert volunteers

Why do people volunteer for EWB-UK? Gain experience / skills Fun / social activity Make contacts Because they believe the task should happen

Why does EWB-UK want volunteers? It doesn’t have money to pay people to carry out its activities otherwise It believes volunteering is a valuable process for young people in this sector It believes volunteers can do things that paid staff can’t To bring in expertise it couldn’t otherwise afford It has to have them (trustees)

Volunteer management is … … matching what you want to happen with someone who can benefit from doing it in a way that matches their lifestyle… Is the task interesting (to whatever motivates them) Is it viable? (80 hours / week) Do they have the skills to deliver? Can you provide requisite support / materials?

Recruitment Creating a volunteer role that is likely to meet a volunteer’s interests / needs. Finding and attracting someone who is likely to carry out that role. Enabling them to carry out that role -FLEXIBLY

Retention Ongoing support and motivation in the volunteer role … -What motivates them in this role / your organisation? -How long is it reasonable to expect them to stay? -How long does EWB-UK want them to stay?

What is your role? Communicate well. Be clear about what you are asking people to do, when and how. Encourage, motivate, praise. Give constructive feedback. Make hard decisions Be a reflective practitioner

EWB-UK specific issues Managing over distances Student workflow Limited skills High turnover of volunteers – building institutional knowledge

Further resources legal issues UKVPMS – volunteer manager listserve