Problems Recruiting Volunteers: Nature versus Nurture

Mark HagerArizona State University

Jeff BrudneyCleveland State University

ARNOVA 2010

U.S. Volunteer Management Capacity Study, 2003

• Sample of 2,993 Form 990 filers.• Telephone interview with representatives

from 1,753 organizations.• Focus on 1,361 who work with volunteers.• Interviews average 20 minutes; questions on

broad variety of organizational characteristics.• Weight adjustments by size and whether we

could reach them in a pre-call.

Recruitment Problems• 24% report big problems

recruiting enough volunteers.

• 18% report big problems recruiting volunteers with the right skills or expertise.

• 25% report big problems recruiting volunteers during the workday.

What is the source of recruitment problems?

• Nature: Innate to the organization or its mission.

: Beyond the control of managers

• Nurture: The result of organizational culture or strategic decisions.

: Within the control of managers

Nature• Size of the organization

• Prevailing age of its volunteers

• Staff-focus: ratio of staff to volunteers

• Intensiveness of volunteer use

• Number of types of duties available to volunteers

Volunteer Intensiveness

Nurture• Degree of adoption of volunteer

management practices

• Organization’s cultural orientation toward support of volunteers

• Use of recruitment strategies

Volunteer Management Practices• Written policies, job descriptions• Training for paid staff re volunteers• Liability coverage• Recognition activities• Regular data collection• Training for volunteers• Screening and matching• Supervision and communication• Time manager spends on VRM

Organizational Culture

• Lack funds for supporting volunteers

• Indifference or resistance to volunteers on the part of paid staff or board members

• Lack of paid staff time to properly train and supervise volunteers

Recruitment Strategy• Number of methods for recruiting

volunteers:At groups Papers/flyersRadio Referral orgsInternet Special eventsTV Word of mouth

• Use of volunteers to recruit other volunteers.

Nature portion of final model

Size ns

Age: Percent volunteers under 24 - ***

Role of volunteers in organization

Ratio: staff to volunteers ns

Volunteer intensiveness - ***

Number of volunteer duties ns

Nurture portion of final modelVolunteer management capacity

Written policies nsTraining for paid staff - ***Liability coverage + *Recognition activities nsRegular data collection nsTraining for volunteers nsScreening and matching nsSupervision and communication nsTime VRM spends on volunteer management ns

Organizational cultureLack funds for supporting volunteers + ***Indifference from staff + **Lack time for staff to train and supervise volunteers + ***

Recruitment strategiesNumber of recruitment methods + ***Volunteers used to recruit ns

Conclusions: Nature

• Nonprofits of all sizes experience recruitment successes and problems.

• Reliance on young volunteers brings fewer challenges in recruitment.

• As overall volunteer intensiveness increases, recruitment problems decrease.

Conclusions: Nurture

• For recruitment, volunteer management capacity must focus on the professional side.

• A supportive organizational culture is essential. Volunteers will not go where they believe they will not be valued.

• Scattershot recruitment does not solve recruitment problems. Focus and develop a few key recruitment approaches.

Thank you!

Mark.Hager@asu.edu

JBrudney@gmail.com

ARNOVA 2010