Recognizing Volunteers
In response to the observation that volunteers are too often seen as amateurs:
"Just remember: Noah's Ark was built by amateurs. The Titanic was built by professionals."
When volunteers join your organisation it makes the utmost sense to make every effort to retain them. It is a costly proposition to recruit and train replacement volunteers. Moreover, the time lost in recruiting replacement volunteers can result in lengthy periods where an organisation may not be able to deliver the additional quality of service that a volunteer may bring to the organisation.
Providing proper encouragement and recogniton to volunteers, helps to ensure that you attract the highest caliber of volunteers. You will attract volunteers who genuinely want to help others and not just those who ask, 'What's in it for me when I volunter?
One important way of encouraging your volunteers to remain with your organisation is to give then adequate recognition. Recognition to be effective should be consistent and ongoing. Volunteers can quickly loose motivation if they feel that their work is not valued.
Volunteer managers should be aware that the way volunteer efforts are recognised is of importance. This is because one volunteer may regard one type of recognition as valuable whilst another volunteer may feel it has little worth. If a Volunteer Manager is aware of the volunteer's motivation in working for the organisation then this will provide a good indication for the type of recognition that the volunteer is seeking. For example, if a volunteer is hoping to obtain paid employment, they will value opportunities to receive training and obtain a certificate of training recognition or they may value a referee for their résumé.
In many cases, volunteers that are motivated by helping the community will see their work as reward and will only require support from their volunteer organisation. The support of paid staff and the Volunteer Manager can be shown in many ways. The enthusiasm of paid staff to the aims of the volunteer program is very important because it will naturally engender within the organisation the recognition that volunteers are important.
An organization's ability to motivate and retain its members depends on
its ability to do three things:
1. Praise and recognize their member’s talents and hard work,
2. Award their member’s contributions to the organization, and
3. Show their members that they are truly wanted and appreciated.
"Just remember: Noah's Ark was built by amateurs. The Titanic was built by professionals."
When volunteers join your organisation it makes the utmost sense to make every effort to retain them. It is a costly proposition to recruit and train replacement volunteers. Moreover, the time lost in recruiting replacement volunteers can result in lengthy periods where an organisation may not be able to deliver the additional quality of service that a volunteer may bring to the organisation.
Providing proper encouragement and recogniton to volunteers, helps to ensure that you attract the highest caliber of volunteers. You will attract volunteers who genuinely want to help others and not just those who ask, 'What's in it for me when I volunter?
One important way of encouraging your volunteers to remain with your organisation is to give then adequate recognition. Recognition to be effective should be consistent and ongoing. Volunteers can quickly loose motivation if they feel that their work is not valued.
Volunteer managers should be aware that the way volunteer efforts are recognised is of importance. This is because one volunteer may regard one type of recognition as valuable whilst another volunteer may feel it has little worth. If a Volunteer Manager is aware of the volunteer's motivation in working for the organisation then this will provide a good indication for the type of recognition that the volunteer is seeking. For example, if a volunteer is hoping to obtain paid employment, they will value opportunities to receive training and obtain a certificate of training recognition or they may value a referee for their résumé.
In many cases, volunteers that are motivated by helping the community will see their work as reward and will only require support from their volunteer organisation. The support of paid staff and the Volunteer Manager can be shown in many ways. The enthusiasm of paid staff to the aims of the volunteer program is very important because it will naturally engender within the organisation the recognition that volunteers are important.
An organization's ability to motivate and retain its members depends on
its ability to do three things:
1. Praise and recognize their member’s talents and hard work,
2. Award their member’s contributions to the organization, and
3. Show their members that they are truly wanted and appreciated.