The Secrets of Supervising Volunteers
On the last post I talked about the reasons to incorporate volunteers into your organization. To do this, I’d say that your first move should be understanding them and where they are coming from.
Having volunteers is more than having an “unpaid staff.” Volunteers are essential to many organizations and providing good supervision for them is a fundamental step in creating and maintaining a healthy and constant amount of members.
Ultimately, the volunteers are in place to support the supervisors’ work so the organization can reach its goals. Working with volunteers is supposed to make your job easier and better!
So what does “good supervision” mean?
- Providing clear assignments and direction
There’s nothing more frustrating than not knowing what you are doing and why you are doing it. Supervisors are there to guide the volunteers and to make sure they understand what is needed from them and how their work impacts the organization. - Providing freedom to complete the work
Telling someone what to do does not mean telling them how to do it. Every person has their own way of doing things and this is awesome; it gives us new points of view and new solutions. Make sure the volunteer understands the end-goal of the task and the limitations (maybe there can be a legal issue for doing things certain ways, for example). Once they understand what is expected of them, they are capable of completing the jobs in their own way. - Checking in and monitoring progress
Becoming a volunteer is making a commitment. Hold volunteers accountable for their commitment. Make sure the volunteers stay on the right track and guide them through it. And always help them if they need more guidance or instructions. Remember that their success makes you succeed! - Understanding the supervisors’ obligations toward the volunteer and the organization
What do you need to do as a supervisor? A few examples are scheduling volunteers, completing reports, performing evaluations, and submitting volunteers’ hours. The accountability is not a one-way street! - Giving back to volunteers
Do your best for the volunteer to get the most out of the experience! If you know why the volunteer is giving their time, help them to reach those personal goals. For a volunteer that wants to expand their network, introduce them to people and help them make new contacts. For a volunteer that wants to make a difference in the community, tell them the organization’s success stories and show them how their time has been beneficial. For volunteers that want to improve their skills, teach and allow opportunities to use them. - Appreciate the volunteers
I gotta tell you, I love volunteering. I love spending my time (especially now that I have so much free time!) helping others to achieve their full potential somehow. I don’t need anybody telling me that volunteering is important and I definitely do not need anybody thanking me for it. I’m what is called a self-motivated volunteer. But one thing I noticed is that every time someone thanks me with real gratitude that comes out of their eyes as well as out of their mouth, my heart just warms. So please, thank the volunteers. They are, after all, supporting you and your organization. A simple and honest “thank you” can be the difference between a volunteer coming again or not at all.
Volunteers benefit the community, the organization, and your own work if you learn how to lead them. Becoming a supervisor and a leader is a beautiful way to support another human being (the volunteer) while supporting the organization’s mission. And if you still need a reason to do it, developing leadership skills and experiences will be a great addition to your resume!
Sources:
- Verified Volunteers
- Charity Village
Revised by Isabelle Jade.
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