Tips For Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers | 
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Your Section needs volunteers to help with tasks such as planning meetings, creating newsletters and web pages, managing finances, etc. But finding, recruiting and retaining volunteers can be difficult. You know what the Section needs but what are the needs of a volunteer?
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Every IEEE Member is a potential volunteer. But it is important to match an individual's skills and interests with the right job. Recruiting volunteers starts with engaging members in Section activities and getting to know them on a personal level. This can help you cultivate their interests and ensure a mutually satisfying volunteer experience. Try to find ways to help new members get to know others. If they enjoy the experience of being a Section member, they are more likely to contribute time as a volunteer once they are comfortable the group. (See " Planning Successful Meetings") POINTERS FOR RECRUITING & RETAINING VOLUNTEERS: Try to match interests and motive for volunteering Identify the jobWhen you have a position to fill, be sure to have a job description available so you can let your potential volunteers know exactly what they are being asked to do and approximately how much of their time it will take. Written instructions can be helpful for both recruiting volunteers and retaining new volunteers. Without written instructions, an individual may decline to volunteer - or may volunteer to do the job, but misunderstand exactly what it is he or she agreed to do and later back down. A task is more likely to be completed and on time when your volunteers know that their contribution is important and that others are counting on them. So let them know the importance of what they are doing and how the job fits into the Section’s goals and organization. And be sure to let them know that they were selected because they were the best person for the job. What can you do?
IEEE best practice: in Region 10, if a
member complains about the way a Section is
being run,
Making Contact: One on one is the best way If you wait for people to offer their services, you may have a long wait, so ask them! But try to avoid doing this as a general announcement at a meeting, in your newsletter, or by passing a sign-up sheet around the room. This communicates that anyone can do the job. You will get better results with a one-on-one contact. Try to reach out to as many sources of potential volunteers as possible and don’t limit yourself to friends and current volunteers. Refer to resources such as meeting attendance sheets and results of interest surveys.
The “personal touch”
works successfully for the Eastern Idaho
Section. They start by approaching
people that they know. If more volunteers
are needed (and they usually are), phone calls
are made. Experience has shown them that
for every 10 volunteers recruited, 100 phone
calls must be made. The task is divided
between officers. If you want to try
this, it will
Try to match interests and motive for volunteering Individual motives for volunteering are varied. Motives can include fulfilling social needs, looking for a challenge, self-improvement, or even being bored with the line-up of programs on television. How can you find out what would motivate your Section’s members to volunteer? Ask them. Take time to speak with the members that attend meetings. Engage them in discussion about volunteering. Find out if the individual prefers to work alone or in a group and then look for appropriate tasks to assign. Take a survey of all Section members.
To encourage a h
igher response rate to a survey, try
the method that worked for the Cincinnati
Section when they did a survey to determine
members’ meeting preferences.
They entered
It is important to set a specific due date, or end date, when assigning a job to a volunteer. This allows the individual to prioritize volunteer work with family and job commitments. It also lets them know that the job will eventually end. The deadline should be confirmed in writing at the time you confirm the volunteer’s commitment. Follow up with the volunteer on their progress and have them contact you as soon as possible if they cannot complete the task.
Section “tried and true
solution”: the IEEE Broward (Florida)
Section officers noticed that many people do
not want to volunteer for anything that
involves a lengthy time commitment (6 months
– 1 year). So the officers
decided to try a different approach and have
had success in asking people to volunteer to
take on short-term duties, for example,
planning just one meeting. This
Know what is needed to complete each job for the various Section positions and make sure your volunteers have the material and information they need when they take on the job. Having the necessary tools increases the probability of success. Training should be matched to the experience, needs and duties of the volunteer. Some volunteers may have experience in the job area and not need much training. Others may have volunteered in order to gain new skills and will need more help. Depending on the type and complexity of the job, the training can be one on one, in a group setting, or may simply consist of a list of step-by-step instructions. Planning ahead will help you anticipate the need for training. Most Regions hold annual meetings of which officer training is an integral part. The officer who attends can share the information obtained at those meetings. There is also a lot of information available for Section and Chapter officers on the web:
Another good source of information for current Section/Chapter/Affinity Group volunteers is the Section Chapter Volunteer Forum virtual community. Members of this community can discuss issues, ask questions, take part in polls, etc. which help in their volunteer leadership roles. https://www.ieeecommunities.org/section-chapter_vol.
An effective tool used by the China
Lake Section is a personalized Section
Operations Manual. This notebook was put
together by experienced Section officers and
contains practical information for running the
Section. Some of the items included are
a list of local meeting venues with associated
costs and contacts, bank account numbers and
related information. Providing this type
of material saves incoming officers time by
providing a past history of actions and is a
handy resource that allows the officer to
quickly proceed to do the job.
Meeting Logistics: what is convenient for volunteers and potential volunteers IEEE Section meeting statistics show that 22.7% of Section meetings in 2002 were administrative. While administrative meetings are important for the optimum running of a Section, it should be kept in mind that if they are always held in the same place and same time, it might exclude some potential volunteers. Those that travel for their jobs, have family commitments, or long commutes may need more flexibility in time and location of their volunteer responsibilities. A safe and comfortable environment is especially necessary for meetings held in urban areas. Volunteers may not return if there is insufficient parking, expensive parking fees and/or poorly lit parking areas. Meeting notices should contain the address of the meeting place and a telephone number (cellular phone) of someone who will be attending and knows the area. Some other items to consider:
Careful planning will ensure that volunteers feel that they are welcome and valuable members of the team. In addition, it will give them a positive image of the organization.
In 2002, the IEEE Binghamton Section
officers found that worked best for their group
at that time was to hold evening meetings for
the Section committee, sometimes at a local
restaurant. Topics are discussed and
decisions made at a high level, with details
worked out at breakfast meetings with the
people who were working on the particular
Check the progress of the volunteer task and provide feedback, but don’t hover. Keep in mind that volunteers are colleagues and partners, not subordinates or employees. Be positive, acting as coach and cheerleader, but don’t allow yourself to get over-involved by doing the work yourself, even if it sometimes seems easier. If, despite your best efforts, a volunteer does not perform, you can release him from the commitment.
When the task is completed, or even
if the volunteer is released from the commitment
before completion, it is a good idea to
solicit feedback. Volunteers appreciate
the opportunity to share their opinions.
In addition, the Section will learn about any
problems encountered and may be
Each volunteer should be thanked personally, preferably with a hand-written note or an email, acknowledging specific contributions. You can also publicly recognize volunteers, as appropriate, either at a Section event or in the Section newsletter. Another way to say thank you is to provide the volunteer with a position of more authority and responsibility. Many Sections hold an annual banquet at which tokens of appreciation, such as certificates or plaques, are distributed. These items can be purchased locally or ordered from IEEE Section/Chapter Support ( www.ieee.org/scsproducts). SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH US
Does your Section have a volunteer
recruiting/retaining practice that you would
like to share?
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