Volunteerism – Are you getting it right?
Volunteers are a tremendously important asset to SPE, both on an international as well as a regional level, and many of the services and activities provided would not have been possible without them. For example, in the lead up to the Young Member Programs at ATCE alone, over 400 volunteers were recruited to help out! Volunteers truly are what drives SPE and its mission.
Understanding what drives people to volunteer
Getting the right people in however, is not always as straightforward. Especially in the current industry climate, employees have seen their travel budgets cut, and it is proving more challenging to get time off from their companies to participate in volunteer activities. The first step in the process is to gain a deeper understanding of what drives people to volunteer and what they like to get out of it. These reasons are often very personal and can differ from one individual to the next. For someone early in their career for example, volunteering can benefit them by allowing them to develop technical and soft skills and to network with their peers. On the other hand, someone who has been in the industry for a long time might feel it is their duty to give back to the Society and help build up the next generation of engineers.
It is also important to understand the impact volunteering can have on career progression. When someone climbs the ladder in the world of volunteering, this can open up new opportunities for their professional career and vice-versa. SPEs volunteer network encourages individuals to work their way up to gain increasingly more responsibilities within their volunteer roles, developing their skills and competencies along the way.
Thus depending on what volunteer opportunities you have on offer within your section, think about how you want to promote these according to the group of members you want to recruit. Showcasing how your volunteer opportunities can help individuals develop skills for their everyday jobs will certainly add value--and of course make sure you target the decision makers. It may prove more effective to approach senior management directly and work with them to help them understand how volunteering can develop their staff’s talent and ultimately benefit their companies as a whole.
Ensuring diversity and bringing in new talent
It can be tempting to choose the easy way and keep recruiting the same individuals in the same roles over and over again, simply because they know what they’re doing and it saves you the time having to find new people. Although the importance of succession planning and continuity should not be underestimated, failing to recruit new talent and ensure diversity among your volunteer pool can make the quality of your programs and services stagnate or even decline over time. Therefore, aim to make it a usual practice to advertise volunteer opportunities to your membership at-large and be transparent about the process of selection. This way you will build trust with your members and are more likely to expand the pool of talent.
Volunteer applications should first and foremost be assessed on how well their skills and competencies match to the roles, as well as their availability and commitment. However, it is important to ensure your volunteer groups are a representation of your overall membership in terms of other demographics such as age, gender, technical interest, and career level. Having a diverse team in place can bring new ideas an innovation to your projects, ensuring you are always one step ahead of the game.
Getting the right match
The process of recruiting volunteers should be very similar to that of recruiting employees. Just because there is no financial commitment, does not mean we should allow for bad recruitment practices to impact on the quality of the programs and services we provide to our members. To advertise a volunteer role, it is advised to include details on the following:
- Role description
- Expectations
- Eligibility
- Expected time commitment
- Required qualifications, skills and/or competencies
- How many volunteer roles are available
- Deadline for application
For the application process you can consider asking for the following:
- CV
- Motivational statement
- Previous experience and skills/competencies
- Ability to commit to the expectations
Having potential volunteers go through the effort of matching their skills and showcasing their interest in the role is likely to result in a greater commitment along the line. Also make sure you recruit a few additional volunteers, or have some on standby, as there are likely to be drop-outs along the way.
For examples of detailed volunteer role descriptions and application processes, you can refer to the SPE volunteer portal. It is good practice to encourage your members to volunteer for international opportunities, as your members can bring new skills and insights back to your section and give your region a more prominent voice within SPE International.
Communicate and engage
Once you have made your selection of volunteers, it is important to keep the momentum going. If the role requires a larger team of volunteers to work together, make sure everyone is introduced and have a kick-off meeting to ensure everyone is clear on their responsibilities, discuss the overall timeline of the project, as well as delegate individual tasks among team members. Aim to plan regular catch up meetings to report on progress and provide regular updates on how the project is going. For volunteer roles that require on site responsibilities such as at an event, ensure all volunteers are briefed on the arrangements and organize an onsite training session if applicable.
Following the hopefully successful execution of the project, don’t forget to have a debrief meeting and share feedback with your volunteers. It can also be very insightful to get your volunteers to complete a survey (anonymously if appropriate) to report back on their experience and ensure you can make improvements to the process where necessary.
Recognize their efforts
SPE depends greatly on the talents of volunteers to accomplish the work of the Society, and for that we should thank them and recognize their efforts. Volunteer recognition can take many forms, and some practices may be more appropriate in certain cultures compared to others. Any volunteer who participates in roles for SPEI can log into their profile and download a personalized "thank you" letter from the SPE President. There is a version available for the individual as well as for his/her employer. As mentioned previously it is very important that employers can embrace the value volunteering can add to their employees and organizations as a whole. In addition to letters, you can consider providing small gifts or plaques to present to your volunteers.
Take every opportunity to publicly thank your volunteers--whether that is during a closing speech, on the website, or in a newsletter. A simple thank you can go a long way towards making volunteers feel appreciated. On a regional level, your section may also consider organizing a special event in which all volunteers are recognized and thanked for their efforts.
Share their story - #SPElov
Every volunteer journey is unique, and that’s why we love hearing from other volunteers. Encouraging your members to share their experiences can help your section recruit and engage more volunteers and help you improve the overall volunteer experience.
Is your Section making the most out of their members’ talent and skills? Share your top tips on volunteering.