Raising the Bar for Your Volunteers

Jan Dwyer
This article provided by the Engstrom Institute

Max Depree, in his book Leading without Power: Finding Hope and Serving Community, writes that "the future of the United States lies to a great extent in the hands of volunteers." Similarly, the future of our ministries is dependent on our ability to attract and retain volunteers.

Trends in trends in volunteerism reveal that the fastest-growing category of people who volunteer are employed full- or part-time. Elementary and high school students are fulfilling mandatory community service hours. To expand their reach and impact, Christian ministries need to learn how to apply practical strategies to recruit and retain volunteers.

Tips for Attracting and Keeping Good Volunteers

• Word of mouth is the best way to attract volunteers. If someone is happily volunteering in your organization, they will invite their friends to come along. One organization has adopted a theme of "serve with a buddy." They have found that volunteers are more likely to keep serving if they are hanging out with friends at the same time.
  
  
• Treat volunteers like the important part of your ministry that they are. Volunteers are people who want to be part of your ministry. Treat them like you would an employee—give them the same status so they really feel like they are a part of things. If every employee wears a badge, give a badge to every volunteer as well. If there is an event or training for your employees, invite your volunteers too.
  
  
• Recognize and appreciate their value to the team. They are not add-ins to your ministry—they are a vital part of the work you are doing. Tell them how important they are. Give them important jobs to do.
  
  
• Make volunteering fun. Make sure the staff people your volunteers serve with are welcoming, and set up an atmosphere of fun and camaraderie.
  
  
• Support them through training. Many volunteers are working outside of their comfort zone, so be sure they have all the training and equipment they need for the job you've given them.
  
  
• Find out what their passions and gifts are and put them in a place where they can excel. You are responsible before God for making the best possible use of your volunteers. His agenda for your volunteers is for them to use their gifts in service for the kingdom—so that must also become your agenda. In addition, you will get long-term service and high-quality work from volunteers who are serving in their area of giftedness.

Potential Problems with Volunteers:

• Unpredictable or unreliable schedules; inconsistency
• You have to check back with them often
• You can't always have them working in an area of giftedness; consequently, you may not get their best work, but you need to get the job done
• It's hard to find and retain them

Qualities of a Successful Volunteer:

• Flexibility/servant's heart
• Someone who has caught the vision of your ministry
• Eager to learn
• Trustworthy
• Aware of their own gifts and passions
• Understands how their attitude affects the team

Questions to Ask a Volunteer

When you get a new volunteer in your door, ask a few key questions so you can put them in a position within your ministry that they will really enjoy and be good at. Here are some sample questions:

• What three words would you use to describe yourself?
• What is your passion?
• How would your friends describe you?
• What makes you excited—if you could do the best or most important job in the world, what would it be?
• What are your expectations of this experience—what are you hoping to get out of serving here?

When a volunteer is finished with their term of service, have them fill out a feedback form. Ask them what they thought of various aspects of the experience. List your core values and ask them, "How did we rate in these five values?" Ask them if they would serve again, and why or why not.

Jan Dwyer holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and worked for World Vision from 1994 to 1998. She now owns and operates her own speaking and training business in Federal Way, Washington. She partners with clients in providing lasting business results in the areas of customer service, communication, leadership, and career development. Contact her at Jan@JanDwyer.com or visit her website at http://www.jandwyer.com.