volunteering 2.0: how to attract, hire and manage online volunteers

VOLUNTEERING 2.0

AGENDAAGENDA

1. Volunteering in the past;2. Trends in Volunteering;3. Contributions of Volunteering;4. On-line Volunteering; 5. Survey: Why and What; 6. Things To Keep In Mind;7. Practical Steps;8. Resources 9. Questions

VOLUNTEERING IN THE PASTVOLUNTEERING IN THE PAST

Part of a country’s “cultural repertoire”:o Indicator of how societies were organized, o How social responsibilities were allocated among actors,o How volunteers themselves were perceived by society at large.

“Amateurish pursuit” “Party-led requirements” (Sweden) (Eastern Europe)

Today: mostly issue- based, changing the way we think of volunteering, and how we engage with our socio-political realities.

SOCIAL CAPITAL AND WEB 2.0SOCIAL CAPITAL AND WEB 2.0

“The benefit of virtual communities to the community is its social capital”

Privileged access to resources and opportunities .

“As people continue as volunteers, commitment to the community increases. Commitment in turn increases the incidence of volunteer actions on behalf of the community.”

WEB 2…WHAT?WEB 2…WHAT?

“Volunteering is a highly dynamic and exciting field. It is both responsive to societal trends and a leader of

those trends”

oThe new composition of households, o Changing employment patterns, o A shifting sense of community or belonging, o New dynamics of social inclusion (and therefore exclusion),oSecularisation and a general loss of trust in the established political process.

“A society in which individuals are cash-rich, but time-poor. “

VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERING (VV)VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERING (VV)

“Volunteering has also been seen as a means of delivering a range of other government policies in the areas of sustainable communities,

rural communities, health and social welfare (…)”

Volunteers

Short -termShort -termLong-termLong-term

Episodic (temporary/occasional)

Episodic (temporary/occasional)

Transitional (re-integration in

community)

Transitional (re-integration in

community)

“Volunteerism is a catalyst for social change.”

Image Problem

Activist Volunteer

o“Second digital divide” (or empowerment divide) : volunteer literacy

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF VV’INGSOCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF VV’ING

“Their contribution is often distinctive and critical to how organizations are run and services are delivered.”

UK alone = 2.1 million full-time workers (or 48.1 billion!)

1.They make services more caring and personal; 2.They encourage innovation and fresh perspective; 3.Promote equality;4.Enable a service to be user-led; 5.Can be a means of precipitating change; 6.Enables a sense of ownership; 7.Relieves paid staff from specific tasks, thus focusing on duties; 8.Source of local (or other knowledge); 9.Build skill base/resources for new staff; 10.Promote community cohesion; 11.Can reduce dependency and promote empowerment; 12.Helps develop marketable skills;13.Boosts confidence and self-esteem.

PROFILES (1)PROFILES (1)

Lyons et al.

VERTICAL: “the non-profit paradigm”- seen as philanthropy (equal to donating money);-Looked in a specific role, volunteering seen as unpaid labour.

HORIZONTAL: “civil society paradigm” - focus on association depending entirely on volunteers;-Emphasis on social change vs. unpaid labour.

SERIOUS LEISURE -Focus on intrinsic motivations;- Tends to be project-based, expression of particular skills.

PROFILES (3)PROFILES (3)

Davis’ “UNV Typology” A model that is broad enough to encompass full diversity of activities:

a)Mutual aid or self-help (“by us, for us”) b)Philanthropy (typically involves an organization) c)Participation (involvement in political decision-making)d)Advocacy/Campaigning

WHY DOES IT MATTER?WHY DOES IT MATTER?

“Volunteers are valuable knowledge brokers, linking know-how with community needs.”

Helping us understand motivations can help us maximize volunteer satisfaction, organizational goals and volunteer contributions.

Impact (Org./Issue)

Impact (Org./Issue)

Valuation EVAS/VIVA

GDP

Valuation EVAS/VIVA

GDP

VisibilityVisibility

YOUTH AND VV’ING (1)YOUTH AND VV’ING (1)

“Digital natives are the most active contributors in virtual volunteering.”

Issue-based action: -Distrust in bureaucratic institutions-Balance between the organization and personal preference (short-term/project-based)-Prefer expressive, self-actualizing activities

Engaged youth vs. Disengaged youth paradigm: “Generational changes in social identity that have resulted in the growing importance of peer networks and on-line communities.” - narrative of decline overlooks creative developments - “universality of particularities” (Voye’), the replacing of traditional collective identifications with feelings of similarity based on personal experiences and problems.

YOUTH AND VOLUNTEERING (2)YOUTH AND VOLUNTEERING (2)

“These perspectives imply that actions in civil society are public in nature, rather than being extensions of private life.”

ABOUT THE SURVEYABOUT THE SURVEY

Pilot Survey: Shared with 25 TIG volunteers and was followed by a focus group with 5 active volunteers in the Multilingual team;

Public Survey: released through TIG Spotlights from mid-January to mid-April 2009

- Was featured on UNV portal for the last week of the survey, the CIVICUS e-newsletter, and Social Actions;

Collected a total of 405 responses and the study is headed for publication in an academic journal

BENEFITSBENEFITS

BARRIERSBARRIERS

SUCCESS IN:SUCCESS IN:

RANGE OF TASKSRANGE OF TASKS

A CHOICE BLEND: WHAT VOLUNTEERS WANT FROM ORGANIZATIONS HTTP://BIT.LY/LXWJ1HTTP://BIT.LY/LXWJ1

Doubter– Starter—Doer– Stayer

Eight pressure points: 1.Image and appeal of volunteering 2.Methods of recruiting volunteers3.Recruitment and application procedures4.Induction into volunteering5.Training for volunteers6.Overall management of the volunteer7.Ethos/culture of the organization8.Support/supervision available

Starter

Doer

Stayer

TURN YOUR ORGANIZATION INTO A VOLUNTEER TURN YOUR ORGANIZATION INTO A VOLUNTEER MAGNET MAGNET HTTP://BIT.LY/OHYRY HTTP://BIT.LY/OHYRY

1.A company is known by the people it keeps (culture, humour) 2.Make volunteering good practices your own - make sure there is someone responsible for volunteering at the highest level; - spread knowledge throughout the organization 3.Decide on a regular timeframe for reviewing volunteering practice - Set a date and stick to it 4.Be passionate about the work of your volunteers - what is so great about it?- what can be improved?

CONT’D (2)CONT’D (2)

5. Managing volunteers- what is the mission of your volunteer program?- what do you hope to achieve? 6. Lead the way, set the standard7. Keep the objectives meaningful 8. Be mindful of first impressions and “customer service”

RECOMMENDATIONS (2)RECOMMENDATIONS (2)

9. Balance the needs of volunteers and the project 10. Turn your volunteers into magnets to recruit more volunteers11. Events (“virtual happy hour” -- give two or three time options) 12. Be your own PR 13. Make friends with volunteers (call them by name, let them take credit for outcomes, let them identify areas for improvement)

* “magnetism of values”

TRUST IN ON-LINE TEAMSTRUST IN ON-LINE TEAMS

A)Communication behaviour facilitating trust early on - communication conveying enthusiasm; - social exchanges facilitate trust.

B)Member actions facilitating trust early on - coping with technical/task uncertainty; - individual initiative.

C) Communication behaviours maintaining trust later on - Consistent communication; - Substantive and timely response.

D) Member actions facilitating trust later on - Leadership; - Transition from procedural to task focus; - Calm reaction to crisis.

PRACTICAL STEPSPRACTICAL STEPS

1.Attract2.Recruit 3.Retain

ATTRACTATTRACT

1. Write Clear Job Descriptions - Who are you targeting?- What is the time commitment? - What are the expectations? - What are the deliverables? - What are the incentives?

ATTRACTATTRACT

2. Post the Job Descriptions on your website (or create a special VV section on your site)

3. Promote the position(s) through other social networks

http://twitter.com/sproutecourse

RECRUITRECRUIT

1. Conduct Interviews and/or Organize an Orientation Session

3. Organize a Training Session, Provide Training Materials

RETAIN RETAIN

1. Have a Clear Team Structure 2. Consider Writing a Virtual Volunteer Policy

RETAINRETAIN

3. Ensure Regular Communication With Your Team(s)4. Provide Support Mechanisms

RETAINRETAIN

5. Know Your Volunteers• Sharing Circle, Icebreakers, Interactive Games, Maps/Mash Ups

6. Create a Sense of Belonging/Ownership

RETAINRETAIN

7. Share Resources, Opportunities and Tips

RETAINRETAIN

8. Generate interest in your volunteer’s work 9. Celebrate their contributions/accomplishments

volunteering 2.0: how to attract, hire and manage online volunteers

Technology