Engagement and Management of Volunteers - Articles from Volunteer Today

Retention is an issue that is probably not paid the attention it deserves. When time is invested in recruiting, orienting, training, supervising, and rewarding volunteers, it makes sense to keep them for as long as possible. Also, the more experience a volunteer has in the program the more valuable he/she becomes. It is building equity. High turn over of volunteers can be an impediment to growth. To calculate the turn over or attrition rate requires an investment in volunteer records. This keeping records in logical increments such as years, quarters or terms of service.

Turn over of volunteers per event or year tells how many people you are likely to need from year to year on a percentage basis. It is calculated by measuring only those who stayed for a second year. That is your retention rate.

In Year A you had 122 long-term volunteers total. Of those 19 were new first year volunteers. In Year B you had 127 volunteers of whom 28 volunteers are new and 13 have returned from the previous year. The formula gives you a percentage, hence the use of 100.
Example:

Let’s assume you want to track retention among short-term volunteers for an annual event.

In Year A there are 78 volunteers, of which 61 are first time volunteers. In Year B there are 67 volunteers; 12 are returnees; 55 are new.

In Year A you had 122 volunteers total, this would include your episodic volunteers, too. Of those 19 were new first year volunteers. In Year B you had 127 volunteers of whom 28 volunteers are new and 60 have returned from the previous year. We are figuring to make a percentage.

Marie Tucker, the Director of Volunteer Services in a hospital, developed a way to record retention numbers by the amount of time the person agreed to serve. In Tucker’s view there are some people who just cannot stay for long periods of time. It is her premise that retention is measured when a volunteer stays as long as he/she agreed to stay. When the coordinator of volunteers lumps everyone together and measures the numbers against the long term volunteer, the numbers can appear grim. They are also inaccurate, in her view. Retention statistics should be based on how long someone agreed to stay; and if the person completed that commitment.

She has a method of tracking retention that uses numbers to see the reality of volunteer engagement. Here are her suggestions:

Tucker’s idea is that over time she will gather statistics to make comparisons and set goals for increasing retention over the ensuing years. This means retention is counted for the style of volunteering, not lumping all volunteers into the old traditional styles and measuring against that benchmark.

[Editor’s Note: Elizabeth Stephens answered a question posted on CYBERVPM (a listserv for those who manage volunteers) related to managing the highly skilled volunteer. I was so impressed with the ideas that I asked Elizabeth to write an article for Volunteer Today.]

Volunteer managers often talk about the need for specialty or highly skilled volunteers. Successfully engaging and supporting these volunteers requires a structure developed with their needs in mind. Here are a couple of tips for success I learned while working in the volunteer department of a hospice that engaged a large number of alternative therapy volunteers integrating holistic pain management techniques with the more traditional medical model practiced by our doctors and nurses.

Volunteers with special skills appreciate the very personal approach to recruitment that demonstrates a respect for their expertise. While we did general recruitment such as placing advertisements in specialty magazines and flyers in health food stores, our most long-lasting volunteers usually came from personal invitations. I called and visited Reiki masters, massage therapists, and other alternative therapy practitioners and teachers encouraging their questions and following-up with any contacts they suggested. This highly personalized approach took more time but resulted in better matches and less turn-over. From the beginning it was clear that this (like all volunteer relationships) was a two-way street in which their expertise was valued but would also have to fit within the structure of the agency’s policies.

A key to retaining specialized volunteers is to ensure they are fully integrated both into the agency and the larger volunteer corps. In our situation this meant including specific training for everyone on the patient care teams.
Prior to beginning their service, specialized volunteers were trained in agency policies and procedures specific to their modality. We had clearly written rules about how a therapy could be administered (for example Reiki should involve light touch) and to whom (which patients, family members, facility staff, etc.). We also discussed what would happen if policies were broken.
The entire volunteer corps received information about each of the alternative therapy modalities within the required training. Specialized volunteers also attended these trainings and were able to answer questions about their work directly.

All direct care staff members including doctors, nurses, home health aides, social workers and chaplains were trained about the practices and benefits of the alternative therapy modalities. Regular follow-up trainings and information sessions were held with staff members throughout the year to keep everyone on the same page.

One of the biggest factors in our success was the recognition of the importance of the volunteers’ work by staff members outside the volunteer department. Every time a patient enrolled in our care the alternative therapies were explained to the patient and their family members. Then our medical directors would write prescriptions detailing which therapies the patient was allowed to receive. This consistent and tangible show of support by the medical team eased family concerns and provided our volunteers with the respect they deserved as legitimate, vital parts of the care team.

We found that skilled volunteers most appreciated recognition that provided an opportunity to further develop their skills. Each year at our volunteer recognition luncheon we included a brief training from a teacher in the alternative therapy arena. Most volunteers sited this as a main reason they attended the recognition. Additionally we developed a more select corps of seasoned volunteers who were called in for patient and family support during the most final stage when patients were actively dying. Becoming a member of this team was considered a high honor and mark of trust.
While it may seem that these examples apply to a unique situation I think they can be applied universally. Specialized volunteers need: respect for their skills from the outset, a method for the entire agency to be aware of and on-board with their role, and opportunities for personal growth. A volunteer manager who keeps these things in mind is well prepared to broaden the work of volunteers to include highly specialized roles.

Elizabeth Stephens
Respite Bed Operations Manager
CAMBA
Brooklyn, NY
elizabeths@camba.org

Elizabeth has been working professionally in social service agencies for the past 12 years with a primary focus on engaging community volunteers in direct social service with marginalized populations. It is her belief that direct engagement is the first step to breaking down the barriers that keep individuals separated and building healthier communities. She has been working in the New York area since 2001 and has managed a variety of programs serving out-of-school youth, hospice patients, and the homeless community. Elizabeth earned a BA from The New School with a concentrate in Urban Studies and a MS in Nonprofit Management from the Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy.

Return to the Menu

VOLUNTEERS AND JARGON

A sure way to turn off volunteers is to use jargon (words or expressions used by a particular group or profession). Most organizations use jargon as an efficient way to communicate. Volunteers who stay around learn what the letters or phrases mean over time. But, the jargon can be off-putting for volunteers who are doing short service or just starting with the group. Here are some tips to help volunteers master the jargon.

Create a translation glossary. Get an ad hoc committee of volunteers to identify the acronyms, technical terms, abbreviations, or phrases used in the organization or volunteer program. [Example, “Did you turn in your VTR? (volunteer time report)]
Distribute immediately. Send the volunteer home with glossary before training. Post on the Web site for volunteers. Include in volunteer handbook.
Urge staff to spell out jargon. Ask staff to use the acronym and then what it stands for or means. [“The CRF, Client Request Form, is due as soon as you have worked with the person.”]
NEVER use jargon in written material. Be it email, letter, reports, jargon needs to be avoided or clearly explained throughout the document.
Be an example. The manager of volunteers should not use jargon, even when talking to other staff. Practice the techniques of using the jargon and then defining it in all conversations. After all there are new employees, too.

Return to the Menu

A Service of MBA Publishing-A subsidiary of Macduff/Bunt Associates All materials copyright protected ©2010
925 "E" Street Walla Walla, WA 99362 (509) 529-0244 FAX: (509) 526-5595 EMAIL: editor@volunteertoday.com
The content of all linked sites are beyond the control Volunteer Today and the newsletter assumes no responsibility for their content.