Recruiting, Retention and Recognition

of Volunteers in

The European Law Students’ Association

GRUNDTVIG PARTNERSHIP PROJECTIVISOC

“IMPROVING VOLUNTEERING IN SOCIAL CARE”

This is !

• Founded on 4th of May 1981 in Wien (ELSA Romania – 6th of December 1990)• International, independent, apolitical, nonprofit• The worlds’ greatest independent law students’ association• Over 45,000 students in over 300 colleges and universities from 40

countries• Consultative statute for some of United Nations’ institutions

(United Nations Economic and Social Council– ECOSOC, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law– UNCITRAL, etc), the Council of Europe, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and cooperative statute for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) of UN

ELSA philosophy : “A just world in which there is respect for human dignity and cultural diversity.”

ELSA purpose : o Promoting law students’ opportunities, in the spirit of critical dialogue and

scientific cooperationo Contribution in forming bright and cultured jurists with high professional skillso Encourage Law students and young jurists involve and act for a “healthy” society

Recruiting

• set up the recruitment calendar and recruitment plan, with the participation of the entire Local Board of ELSA

• Give a presentation of the association at the academic year opening (held by the PR Director or by the President); Give presentation of the association, held in every classroom by various volunteers of ELSA

• Posters that announce the start of the recruitment period• On the Internet• In the ELSA office• 2 or 3 volunteers stay (in shifts) in the central lobby, in the cafeteria or in other hot spots and

give students flyers and talk about ELSA• Organise at least 2 main events, law-themed and ELSA-specific, one before the recruitment

and the other after the recruitment (and it is actually organized by the new volunteers)• Students that are interested are invited to fill in a application form that reveals personal

facts, academic life and 5 or 6 trick-questions. The questionnaires are graded by ELSA members that have had an active role in the associtaion for 2 or 3 years.

• Depending on the procent of the questions answered and the answer given, the volunteers are invited to present to an interview that will be held with older and active ELSA members

• The interview consists in a discusion, with several logic quiestions and some skill-revealing exercises, different for every single volunteer.

• A Feedback is given to the volunteer and he is guided to choose a department that the evaluators thought might be fit to the expectations and needs of the volunteer

• TIE – “This Is ELSA” Training – held for all the newcomers. They are informed, once again, about the association and its purpose, the departments are presented

• Team-building training, organised for the new volunteers: games, tips, fictive projects. The most well organised fictive project will be actually coorinated by all new vounteers

• Atfer-recruitment party with all the recruits and ELSA members and ELSA Seniors• “Communication is the key to great succes” – new members bound with older

members

DOs

• the Board should create his own calendar by setting the goals (including projects and all the activities) for the semester. The HR Vice-President will set up the actual the recruitment calendar.

• Assessing the need for members in association – objective analysis over the existing active members and the number of recruits needed in order to accomplish the goals.

• Promoting the event – by any means: flyers, posters, group mails, Facebook, even short presentations of the Board and the association for those who haven’t heard of your association.

• Involving the entire HR department in recruitments.• Sketching the profile of an ideal recruit – not something

too inflexible, just some guidelines (very adaptable• Deciding over some stages of selection – in ELSA

Romania there are 3: application form, interview and probation.

• Training the recruiters - to make sure everyone involved in recruitment has equal standards and uses the same methods and criteria.

• Providing the accurate information for those interested to be part of ELSA – the applicants should be notified in advance about the selection stages and the recruitment calendar.

• Be sure to give your volunteers constant praise and thanks for the work that they do.

DON’Ts

• Stay away from clichés like "Make a Difference"

• Don’t just try to fill in an empty position• Don’t make assumptions about the

person• Don’t recruit volunteers without

induction or interview• Don’t make financial promises to the

volunteers (substantial win of money or goods)

• Don’t choose only the young volunteers – everybody should be in!

• Asking everyone to volunteer – Narrow the field; make a list of names and telephone numbers of five people you think would be good for the task in order of who would be the best fit for the job, who would be second best, and so on.

Retaining

• Trainings: Law themed & Personal development (project management, fundraising, negotiation skills, public speaking)

• National and International Scholarships or Internships at the Bar or other institutions, with renown jurists

• National and International Summer Law Schools. A specific subject is discussed during one or two weeks with great jurists and trainings are held. The social impact of the Summer School is unmeasurable for the ELSA member

• Moot Court Competitions – chance to make themselves known + great way to find out which law career should they follow

• Themed parties (once in a while) • National and International Council Meetings with all ELSA members, that are held

twice a year (disseminating, trainings, socializing, parties)• Promotions: a recruit is an observatory member. If he is active in organizing

project or in participating at the NCMs, he is voted by the ELSA members, in order to become an “active member”. An active member has voting rights.

• After 6 months of volunteering for ELSA, a member gains the right to candidate for vicepresident of a department, treasurer, general secretary or president.

• Job opportunities throughout internships and relations established with jurists• Multitude of projects and activities – everybody can be part in any of it• Volunteers and the other students are always in track with the laws (discuss,

debate, rise against)• Equal treatment between our “plain” volunteers and the volunteers with

responsibilities, as Vice-presidents• Permanent communication – internal and external newsletter (volunteers,

professors, partners, sponsors)• All active members that involve in organizing an event receive a diploma

DOs DON’Ts1. Open talk about the volunteers’ expectations

regarding the association and his present/future activity

2. Always give orientation and training sessions3. Peer to peer support and budding4. Formal supervision – with a member of the

management team5. Supervise – ordinary and from “the shadow”6. Organize panel discussions with the

participation of others associations’ members (same field or not) – advantages and disadvantages or their activity in that organization

7. Invite known people of the field you’re volunteering in to keep training sessions to the other – grows motivation

8. Always keep in touch and talk free with your colleagues and the other volunteers – communication is vital for self-motivation (sessions, annual general meetings, social events)

9. A well-structured hierarchy makes a functional organization– keeps up the good work (either you cover a field or a bunch of others)

10. Design a worksheet for each project11. Determine what information skills and tools the

volunteer must already have and what training you will provide

12. Recruit experienced volunteers to be project team leaders.

1. Never brake the rules, philosophy and purpose of your association – those rules are made to be taken into consideration!

2. Never discriminate - Everybody can be a volunteer3. You can never compel the volunteer – after all,

he’s only volunteering!4. Don’t treat the volunteers as they would be paid

subordinates of yours!5. Don’t keep a lazy and inactive volunteer, that no

longer identifies himself with the association philosophy and purpose

6. Don’t expect a volunteer to stay longer to finish a task

7. Assuming that everyone will volunteer when asked to sign a sheet or raise their hands at a meeting

8. Assuming that people will say no. Instead, assume that people will say yes, people like to be asked and it shows that you respect their work and what they have to offer.

9. Letting new volunteers loose on a project. Assign low risk tasks to new volunteers until they prove to be dependable.

Recognition• ELSA volunteers have the chance to participate at National and International project: Council

Meetings, Summer Schools, Scholarships, paid Internships. Throughout these, they improve their knowledge, aquire specific information on a certain law area and meet renown jurists.

• Diplomas and/or attendance certificates are given after every project they organize or coordinate• “Volunteer of the month” and “Volunteer of the year” – active members with high interest in

ELSA’s activities and projects are voted by the Local Council of ELSA and are awarded with some kind of prize, besides the title he earned.

• Meeting influent people and renown jurists and bounding with them• Moot Court Competitions – chance to make themselves known. It’s also a great way to find out

which law career should they follow• A successful project brings personal and professional satisfaction of the volunteers that organized

it. They will “auto-motivate” for a while• Showing a free spirit and mind, helping the volunteer to grow as a human• Awards received in front of all ELSA members during National or International Council Meetings• Our Alumni are called “seniors” and have a special statute among us• The prestige of volunteering in the only independent international students’ association in the law

field• Being elected in a local or in the national or international board of ELSA is the greatest recognition

of all!• Recognition for non-ELSA members: those who have helped the association in a significant way and

show respect and devotion to our association (mostly proffesors, jurists) become Honorific Members of the association

DOs DON’Ts

1. Peer to peer support and budding2. Organise panel discussions with the

participation of others associations’ members (same field or not) - advantages and disadvantages or their activity in that organization

3. Always keep in touch and talk free with your colleagues and the other volunteers – communication is vital for self-motivation (sessions, annual general meetings, social events)

4. Partners and sponsors: let your partners and sponsors know the details of every project you organize (transparency)

5. Request feedback for a supervisor6. Request self evaluation

1. Providing no public recognition, Or worse, hogging it for yourself.

2. Thinking volunteers cannot be fired . Volunteers perform essential tasks and jobs. They must be responsible and produce the agreed upon work, and must be given an opportunity to improve, but if they do not, then they must be relieved of their job.

3. Never discriminate based on gender, age, sex, rase, etc.

Be careful!

Volunteering is addictive!

Thank you!

Questions & Answers

GrundtvigImprooving Volunteering in Social

Care

Kilkis 2013

Mădălina Marinescu