18 volunteer recruitment and retention final

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Volunteer Recruitment and Retention

Diane Juskelis, MS, RD, CSP, LDN Director, Practice, Member Interest and Affiliate Relations

AGENDA

VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT

What are your needs

How to recruit

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT

Set Expectations

Check-in

Give Recognition

Agenda

Common Answers

•Being thanked•Feeling useful•Seeing results•Being recognized•Forming relationships•Building skills

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Common Answers

•No training•Not knowing how to help•Expectations too high•Skills underutilized

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Why Volunteer?

•Why?•They are asked•Contribute to something meaningful•Learn new skills/build resume•Increase network

•WHY NOT?•Not finding meaningful opportunity•Not having the right skills•No time

Volunteer Recruitment

Recruitment is a year-round activity

• Board of Directors• Committee Chairs• Committee Members• Ad Hoc Positions

What Are Your Needs?

STEP ONE: ANALYSIS

• Where you are• Board Structure• Committee Structure• Succession Planning

• Where you need to go

• Identify Gaps

What Are Your Needs?

STEP TWO: PREPARE

• Revise• Board/Committee Structure• Position Descriptions• Ad hoc positions

• Assign action owners & deadlines

• Identify mentors

• Transfer knowledge to Nominating Committee

How to Recruit

•Locate potential candidates• Volunteer database• Informal conversations• Past and current volunteers

•Match• Candidate skill sets with positions

•Recruit• Identify “what’s it in for me?”• Explain role and commitment• Share support resources available

Creating a Good Experience

•Set Expectations•Share job description & key deadlines•Transition meeting with successor

•Professional Development•Identify a mentor•Provide position training

•Check-in:•Gauge satisfaction•Identify successes•Develop resources

Give Recognition

Praise is every board member’s responsibility

•Provide regular recognition in a timely fashion• Meeting time to praise success• Letters to managers

•Recognition forms• Letter to managers• E-mails• Public praise at meetings• Newsletter articles• Kudos Korner

Give Recognition

What are some ways you have recognized volunteers?

Resources

www.eatright.org/affiliate-resourcesNominating Committee & Volunteer Recruitment

•Exit survey template•Job descriptions•Board agenda example•Gap analysis sample•Volunteer recruitment example e-mail

Best Practices Break: How to recruit and retain volunteers