VDF Recruitment & Retention: Understanding and Meeting the Challenges

Professional Military Education Basic NCO Course VDF Recruitment & Retention: Understanding and Meeting the Challenges

Fit For Duty REFERENCE FEMA 310 Retention and Recruitment for the Voluntary Emergency Services; Recruiting, Training, and Maintaining Volunteer Firefighters

Overview Retention and Recruitment Challenges: Lessons from Volunteer Firefighters Retaining Volunteers through Effective Leadership The “Volunteer Viewpoint” of Effective Management of Volunteer Programs. Recruitment: Looking in Right Places for the Right People for the Right Jobs. Retention: Meeting the Challenge

Overview VDF has more characteristics of volunteer organization than a professional military force. Individuals with prior military service more comfortable with military environment VDF volunteers receive monetary compensation if on State Active Duty – a rare occasion that is outweighed by the hundreds of hours dedicated to company drills and weekend training.

Overview VDF overall retention rate between 2012 and 21013 was 45% Lowest retention rate was 32% of enlisted Commissioned, Warrant, and Non-commissioned Officers rate was 55%

Overview No published recruitment and retention policies although many units have successful practices No published the results of analysis or report on the effectiveness of its current recruitment and retention practices. FEMA FA-310 on Retention and Recruitment for the Volunteer Emergency Services: Challenges and Solutions Deals with volunteer firefighters but may be instructive to the challenges faced by the VDF

Challenges St. Joseph’s University study: Reasons for leaving volunteer fire department (more than one reason): No time to volunteer 92.3 % Conflicts in organization 47.8 % Organizational leadership created 46.7 % Too much training 45.6 % Attitude toward newcomers 39.1 % Criticism from officers/older members 38.0 % Lack of camaraderie 19.5 %

Challenges The Two-Income Family: Very little time to volunteer Time is spent at work, with the children, and house Time available too little for active fire service Volunteers discover that time requirements, particularly the startup demands associated with initial training, are too great

Challenges Less Emphasis on Social Aspects of Volunteering: Loss of the social aspects Volunteers want to serve community and develop social relationships Constraints of everyday life left no time to spend time outside of the station with other firefighters Many fire departments closed firehouse areas used as social centers for many volunteers.

Challenges Urban and Suburban Transience: People who move often are less likely to become involved in a volunteer fire department Fire departments do not want individuals who spend a year getting trained and then leave Acute in resort areas or communities with military populations Surge in transience when farms and ranches are subdivided into housing developments

Challenges Changing Rural Communities: Time demands and focus on self are similar to the changes experienced in urban areas Replacement of small main street businesses with large, multipurpose department stores Managers are less willing to let employees leave when the alarm sounds. Large corporations less willing to give employees time off to volunteer.

Challenges Poor Leadership and Lack of Coordination: - Lack of direction given to members, particularly new members in the area of training New recruits often become frustrated and quit Mentoring and coaching needed Engaged departments have easier time with recruitment and retention Members take more pride in the department

Challenges Authoritarian Management Style: Dictatorial leaders drive members out of volunteer fire departments. Volunteers are given orders in day-to-day jobs, and not want actions dictated around the station. Participative management styles attract and retain members. Volunteers want a sense of worth and feel using their talents to contribute to the overall good.

Challenges Failure to Manage Change: Change is inevitable in any fire department and can be painful if it is not managed properly. Major changes that are not well-managed usually will lose members. Most common causes of management problems is poor communications. Poor communications sign of an authoritarian manager who is a weak leader

Retaining Volunteers through Effective Leadership Recruiting, Training, and Maintaining Volunteer Firefighters: essential to retaining members: The program must meet individual needs. The program must provide its membership with reward and recognition. The program must provide adequate supervision and leadership. The program must challenge members.

Retaining Volunteers through Effective Leadership Ability to retain volunteers has direct relationship to its ability to manage its people Many problems can be traced directly or indirectly, to inadequate or misguided efforts of managers Effective leadership helps retain members as well as reduce dissatisfaction Ineffective leadership is perhaps the leading reason for a decline in membership

Retaining Volunteers through Effective Leadership Most volunteers agree that effective leadership can resolve retention and recruitment problems Leadership qualities and skills are not simply acquired, they must be learned and practiced Bylaws, rules, and regulations also are important. Leadership’s responsibility to maintain discipline and carry out departmental regulations fairly Clear, measurable standards of performance and conduct should be developed and enforced

Effective Volunteer Leadership Volunteer Viewpoint: If you want my loyalty, interests, and best efforts, remember that... I need a sense of belonging, a feeling that I am honestly needed for my total self, not just for my hands, nor because I take orders well. I need to have a sense of sharing in planning our objectives. My need will be satisfied only when I feel that my ideas have had a fair hearing.

Effective Volunteer Leadership Volunteer Viewpoint: If you want my loyalty, interests, and best efforts, remember that... I need to feel that the goals and objectives of the organization are within reach and that they make sense to me. I need to feel that what I’m doing has a real purpose that contributes to human welfare--that its value extends beyond my personal gain, or hours.

Effective Volunteer Leadership Volunteer Viewpoint: If you want my loyalty, interests, and best efforts, remember that... I need to share in making the rules by which, together, we shall live and work toward our goals. I need to know with some clear detail just what is expected of me--not only my detailed task but where I have opportunity to make personal and final decisions.

Effective Volunteer Leadership Volunteer Viewpoint: If you want my loyalty, interests, and best efforts, remember that... I need to have some responsibilities that challenge, that are within range of my abilities and interest, that contribute toward reaching my assigned goal, and that cover all goals. 8. I need to see that progress is being made toward the goals we have set.

Effective Volunteer Leadership Volunteer Viewpoint: If you want my loyalty, interests, and best efforts, remember that... I need to be kept informed. What I’m not up on, I may be down on. (Keeping me informed is one way to give me status as an individual.) I need to have confidence in my superiors--confidence based upon assurance of consistent fair treatment, or recognition when it is due, and trust that loyalty will bring increased security.

Recruitment Recruitment should be focused on filling specific billets with capable volunteers rather than just boosting the numbers of recruits VDF units have high turnover and low retention because volunteers were recruited with expectations that did not match reality. The key is looking in the right places for the right people for the right jobs.

Recruitment 1. Assessing Needs: Identify what jobs need to be filled and qualities are required. Compare your unit’s Defense Support of Civilian Authorities (DSCA) Playbook assignments to your current Manning Table of Operations (MTO.) Discuss career goals with your current troops to determine where they would like to go and what training they will need. This will give you a sense of your current and future personnel needs.

Recruitment 2. Targeting: Select and reach the right people. Most effective approach is through referrals Local groups that train citizens for emergency management, such as CERT and police auxiliary Work with local National Guard recuiter Other civic service grous: Elks, VFW, Knights of Columbus, Neighborhood Watches and churches Community events and county fairs are often good sites for recruiting efforts

Recruitment 3. Orienting: Hold prospective volunteer events Do not ask potential recruits to show up at a regular drill when people are too busy to talk Set up special informational sessions at specific times in the year. Every recruit should be interviewed for background, interests, skills, aptitude and potential placement in the VDF unit. Only then invited to attend a regular drill

Recruitment 4. On-boarding: Process paperwork, create professional development track, and assign mentor A recruit should take oath after at least two drills File the paperwork to determine rank and billet Discuss training schedule for the next two years, including regular drills, military training (IET, PLDC, and BNCOC for enlisted), and specialized training for their team assignments. Assign mentor such as the 1SG or Team Leader

Retention: Meeting the Challenge Emphasis on Social Aspects of Volunteering: Allow for more social time and interaction. Examples during drill: extended group meal times during regular drills; special group training such as survival and land navigation Outside drill: picnics and parties that include spouses, significant others, and other family members.

Retention: Meeting the Challenge Poor Leadership and Lack of Coordination: Each commissioned, warrant, and non-commissioned officer should be a role model Make recruits feel welcomed and useful. Drill schedules should provide activities for each individual though the entire drill time. Individual career development and training goals should be reviewed on a regular basis.

Retention: Meeting the Challenge Authoritarian Management Style: Build volunteer management skills Volunteers need to understand reasons for orders and feel as if their input has been considered. Rank does not equal experience. Many senior VDF officers and NCOs lack the management expertise of their troops Commanders and other unit leaders may succeed better by tapping the experience of their troops.

Retention: Meeting the Challenge Failure to Manage Change: Change is inevitable and it can be painful if it is not managed properly. Units that do not manage change well will lose members. Improve communications. Redoubled efforts are required to retain the current troops, as well as the new recruits.

Retention: Meeting the Challenge DISCUSSION: Provide suggestions for retention: Making the VDF experience rewarding and worthwhile Making the time demands adaptable and manageable. Rewarding VDF troops with sense of value. Encouraging good leadership that minimizes conflict.

VDF Recruitment & Retention: Understanding and Meeting the Challenges