Recruiting volunteers can seem like a daunting task. Volunteer ministers and church pastors are tasked with attracting and recruiting the right volunteers in order to carry out the mission of the church. Some volunteers may have a calling to children or elderly ministries, or maybe they are business savvy and would like to help with fundraising and church finances. No matter which way you slice it, anyone who heads up a volunteer ministry knows the impact volunteers have on assisting your church and its mission.
With the right volunteer recruitment strategies in place, you can boost volunteer satisfaction and increase your retention rates.
According to SHRM’s Pave the Way for Volunteers magazine article, “Without the proper volunteer management structure, oversight, training and communication, volunteers can run amok. And that can lead to little value creation, tension with paid staff, and more trouble than it’s worth.” From the first interaction, you have with a volunteer you want to enhance their experience with your organization. If your volunteers have a great experience volunteering, you can expect the community you are serving to have a similar experience when they interact with your volunteers.
Let’s take a look at volunteer recruitment.
Recruiting volunteers is the practice of attracting suitable volunteers for your organization. In the recruitment process, it is important to match your volunteers with opportunities that align with their skills and interests. Volunteer recruitment can be fun, in this stage of the process, you will be able to find out about your volunteers’ passions and what ministries they may be interested in serving in.
Here are several ways to enhance your volunteer recruitment process:
Network
Make connections with people who are just as interested in your mission as you are. Networking can be as simple as meeting with donors at your church or reaching out to long-time advocates when it comes to your volunteer ministry. You never know who is looking for an opportunity to get involved. The more you network in your congregation the more eager volunteers you will have.
Social media
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are great ways to network with people who have similar interests;, I’ve even seen calls for volunteers on Tik Tok. When starting to recruit on social media, find a local volunteer Facebook group or post directly to your “friends” network. The great thing about social media is that you can use the analytics to your advantage. Determine audience engagement with comments and likes on a post. If a good candidate likes your post follow up with a direct message to see if they are interested.
Spread the word on multiple platforms
Social media isn’t the only avenue you can use when you are recruiting for your volunteer ministry. You can spread the word on job sites like indeed or glassdoor, you can also utilize church newsletters and surrounding local businesses to spread the word about your volunteer ministry.
Volunteer Ministry Role Descriptions
When you create accurate volunteer job descriptions it can help you find the right person to volunteer for that specific job. In your description make sure you are clear when you are communicating volunteer expectations. Be sure to include the estimated number of hours the volunteer can expect to work, and the description of the population the volunteer is going to be serving.
When you stay organized, you can streamline the process of recruiting volunteers. With a clear and professional volunteer recruitment process, you can gain access to several prospective volunteers and enhance your organization’s reputation.
