| Volunteer Management can often seem very difficult | | | | start with a department in the corporation to focus on |
| when trying to develop effective volunteer recruitment | | | | and test. Making sure to road test all your recruiting |
| and volunteer recognition plans. To help you, here are | | | | and recognition ideas can help you save money, time |
| 10 of my best tips to ensure the success of your | | | | and resources. You will learn if you are heading down |
| recruiting, retention and recognition programs. | | | | the right track before launching a large-scale campaign. |
| 1. START WITH BITE-SIZE PIECES | | | | 6. TRY AND TEST DIFFERENT IDEAS |
| Here is how to stop yourself feeling overwhelmed at | | | | Do not be scared to include new approaches in your |
| the thought of developing your recruitment, recognition | | | | programs. Just because it has not been tried before |
| or retention plan. Use a series of mini-plans for tackling | | | | doesn't mean that it will not work. Be innovative and |
| one thing at a time? Break down every one of your | | | | creative. Take risks and then test their value. |
| programs into smaller bite-size pieces. An example, | | | | 7. SEE HOW YOU ARE DOING |
| would be to place your recruitment message on all | | | | Develop a strategy to visually depict how you are |
| paper that leaves your office. On your letters, | | | | progressing at a glance. For instance, draw a large |
| brochures and business cards. Then move to the next | | | | graph to visually show your progress towards your |
| idea. Always aim to begin with bite-size pieces. | | | | target number of new recruits in your recruitment |
| 2. THINK IN TERMS OF MINI-PLANS | | | | campaign. As new recruits join up, start filling in the |
| Still a further example of a mini-plan is to concentrate | | | | graph. This will keep your motivation going as you |
| on recruiting just one more volunteer to undertake a | | | | move closer to your goals. |
| specific job. Brainstorm a number of ways to explore | | | | 8. EVALUATE AND REFINE YOUR PLAN |
| to fill the position. For instance, to recruit a receptionist, | | | | Continue to evaluate all your recruiting, retention and |
| what about targeting work experience students, | | | | recognition plans to make sure you are on track. |
| secretarial colleges, job retraining schemes or recent | | | | Continually look at ways to refine each evolving |
| retirees from similar positions? | | | | mini-plan. Ask yourself: how can we simplify this? How |
| 3. MAKE SURE TO KEEP SCORE | | | | can we do this better? What do we need to change? |
| For every mini-plan, design a system to assist you | | | | Improve on your plan as you learn from the |
| evaluate which strategies are the most effective. You | | | | experience. |
| need to keep score. Rate the time and effort involved, | | | | 9. HAVE PATIENCE |
| the responses and costs to decide on the overall | | | | Even your best designed recruitment plans will not |
| effectiveness for all mini-plans. Keep using what rates | | | | always immediately mean that volunteers will come |
| well and remove the rest, as your time is better used | | | | flocking through the door. Even the best thought out |
| on methods that give you the results. | | | | retention and recognition plans often take time to show |
| 4. MAKE SURE TO SEE THE OVERALL VISION | | | | results. Do be realistic about what you can achieve. |
| Even when you have a series of mini-plans, you must | | | | Continue to tweak and test your ideas and be patient. |
| keep your overall goals and vision in mind. See all | | | | 10. HAVE FAITH TO REACH YOUR GOALS |
| mini-plans as a vital part in your complete recruitment, | | | | Do not be disappointed with setbacks to your plans, |
| recognition or retention plan. It is about designing a | | | | they are all part of learning. It is how you deal with and |
| jigsaw puzzle where each piece adds to creating a | | | | learn from those setbacks that is most vital. There are |
| final beautiful picture. | | | | still a limitless number of people just waiting to be |
| 5. ROAD TEST AS YOU GO | | | | recruited and retained by you. |
| Smart businesses select a small market to test a new | | | | USE THESE 10 STEPS FOR PROGRAM SUCCESS |
| product before committing more resources and time. If | | | | To help you achieve ongoing success, always keep in |
| you have got a wonderful recruitment or recognition | | | | mind these 10 steps in your programs on volunteer |
| idea, road test it first before rolling it out on a large | | | | recruitment, volunteer recognition and volunteer |
| scale. For example, say you wish to focus on a large | | | | management. |
| corporation to recruit more volunteers, then you could | | | | |