Volunteer Management and Supervision

1. Volunteer Management and Supervision The Volunteer Centers of Santa Cruz County

2. The Volunteer Management Cycle

3. Topics we will cover in this session: • Who Volunteers and Why? • An Overview of Recruitment • Steps for Successful Orientation and Training • Steps for Successful Management and Supervision • Steps for Successful Recognition and Retention

4. Who Volunteers and Why? Many factors motivate people to volunteer including: • They were personally asked. • An organization with which they are affiliated is participating. • They have a personal connection to the mission of the project or organization. • They enjoy the type of work being performed. • They want to learn new skills. • They want to meet people.

5. Understanding Motivation Motivation is a complex phenomenon. Understanding what motivates an individual will help in creating recruitment messages, developing quality volunteer relationships, and retaining volunteers. Dr. David McClelland’s Theory on Social Motivators. Individuals have different priorities that fall into one of 3 categories- achievement, influence, and affiliation.

6. Social Motivators Achievement- Desire for Excellence, wants to do a good job, needs a sense of accomplishment, wants to advance, desires feedback Influence- Likes to lead, enjoys giving advice, likes influencing an important project, enjoys job status, like to have their ideas carried out. Affiliation- Likes to be popular, likes to be well thought of, enjoys and want interaction, dislikes being alone in work or play, likes to help others, desires harmony

7. The Recruitment Process • Recruitment is the process of enlisting volunteers into the work of the program. Because volunteers give their time only when they are motivated to do so, recruitment should not involve persuading people to do something they don’t want to do. • Recruitment should be seen as the process of showing people they can do something they already want to do.

8. Steps for Recruiting • Determine Volunteer Needs- what needs to be done and what type of volunteer do you need to do it. • Develop Position Descriptions- Once you know your program’s volunteer needs, you should outline what volunteers will do, what skills are required, and the support/benefits they will receive. • Create a recruitment strategy- Who will you ask and how will you ask them • Target Potential Volunteers and Market your Program

9. ORIENTATION The process of preparing your selected volunteers for a clear relationship with the organization. Should Answer Three Questions: • Why should I volunteer here? • What will I do? • Will the volunteer work I do make a difference?

10. Steps to a Good Orientation: • Step One: Meet and Greet • Step Two: Provide General Information • Step Three: Provide Specific Information • Step Four: Let Them Know it Matters

11. VOLUNTEER TRAINING Training should: •Be relevant, practical, and personalized • Encourage volunteers to develop relationships • Include materials for participants to use and take away from training The process of providing new volunteers with thorough, specific information about the actual work they will be doing.

12. MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION • Remove barriers • Nurture your volunteers • Think of training as an on-going responsibility • Evaluate and give feedback

13. RECOGNITION AND RETENTION • Celebrate the uniqueness of your volunteers • Give your volunteers a great place to work

14. Volunteer Retention Research Best Predictors of Retention • Adequate preparation for the task • Task achievement • Positive relationships in the workplace • The nature of the work itself Top TEN Criteria of a Great Place to Work • Helping others • clearly defined responsibilities • Interesting work • Competent supervisors • Seeing the results of their work • Working with a respected organization • A reasonable work schedule • Doing the things they do best • Suitable workload

15. RECOGNITION AND RETENTION (cont. ) • Give your volunteers what they don’t have • Give them a good time • Celebrate the uniqueness of your volunteers • Give your volunteers a great place to work

16. Your Americorps Member Topics to cover include: • Millennials and Gen X’ers- Common traits, expectations, beliefs • The Cycle of Service • Common Retention Challenges • Supervision Issues • Supervision Best Practices • Member Removal and Replacement

17. The New Face of America The New Face of America Millennials (ages 18-29) Adults (ages 30 and older) Source: December 2009 Current Population Survey (CPS)

18. Full Time Employment Drops Among Young Adults

19. The Satisfaction Gap % saying they are satisfied with the way things are going in this country today Source: Pew Research Center surveys

20. What Makes Your Generation Unique? • Millennial • Technology use (24%) • Music/Pop Culture (11%) • Liberal/Tolerant (7%) • Gen X • Technology use (12%) • Work ethic (11%) • Conservative/Traditional (7%) • Boomer • Work ethic (17%) • Respectful (14%) • Values/Morals(8%) • Silent • WW II, Depression (14%) • Smarter (13%) • Honest (12%)

21. Do You Have a Profile on a Social Networking Site? % saying “yes”

22. % saying…is one of the most important things in their lives Life Priorities Note: Based on adults ages 18-29

23. Cycle of Service and Retention Issues

24. Best Practices for Supervisors • Negotiate a solid set of working agreements for implementing member assignment • Clarify expectations from the beginning and throughout • Anticipate and address member needs • Think of training as an on-going responsibility • Give specific and timely feedback • If an agreement is reached, re-state and clarify next steps • Keep Volunteer Center staff informed of issues big or small and maintain good documentation • Disciplinary Actions- Address the behavior not the person, provide a verbal warning, supervisory review and written warning, removal from program

25. Launching the Job •Review Suggested Orientation Topics • Take- Away Tasks Agency History and Needs Assessment Volunteer Position Descriptions Recruitment Strategy Worksheet Online Recruitment Tools / Marketing Resources • Begin to Prep Now- workspace, preparing staff, organize resources you have in place