The Scout Association’s Recruitment & Retention Strategy

1. The Scout Association’sRecruitment & Retention Strategy Chris Nagle

2. Recruitment & Retention • Priority since 2004 • Variety of different approaches • Parent Pack • Big Adventure • Want-to-join • Student Recruitment....... etc. • But ......... • Ad-hoc • Lacked coherence / strategic approach

3. Approach to volunteering • Historically relied on • Membership model • “career volunteers” • Less reliable in today’s society • Need to re-think our approach • “volunteers as customers”

4. Recruitment research • - generic • Time – largest barrier to volunteering • Potential volunteers think: • Scouting doesn’t need volunteers • Scouting is boys only • they don’t have the skills needed • will be unable to manage behaviour • Scouting isn’t welcoming to new volunteers • Volunteers are “sucked in slowly”

5. Recruitment research • - Section based roles • 40-45% parents of youth members • 40-45% “came through the Movement” • Remaining 10-20% wide variety of sources but... majority have / have had some connection with Scouting • Very few come from: • advertising campaigns • national websites

6. Recruitment research • - Manager & Supporter roles Limited research but..... • Over 95% “promotion” from within • Length of service rather than skill set • Skilled professionals / managers are willing to volunteer –on their own terms • External perception • “Scouting’s volunteers only work with children”

7. Retention research Limited research but..... • New volunteers leave because of: • scale and scope of role • behaviour of young people • difficulties with adults • Parents • episodic volunteers Further research is required