Volunteer Management Alistair Dickson RYA Director of Sport Development
What s your perception of volunteering? V - Vague or Valuable? O Obligation or opportunity? L Loath or Learning? U Unpleasant or upskill? N Necessity or Nourished? T Tiresome or Thrive? E Expectation or Engaging? E Evasive or Excellent? R Relentless or Rewarding?
If negative, what s driving it? Most young people nowadays want everything given to them on a plate, which means always taking something out and not putting anything back in People just don t have the time or enthusiasm that they used to. I just can t seem to get people motivated to take on any duties! It s the same old people, time and time again. So much so, they inevitably burn out and get bitter! People don t turn up to committee meetings anymore. How can anything now get done or agreed? Or something else??
Objectives of today s workshop Discover what s going on in the world of volunteering Explore some theories which attempt to explain why the world of volunteering might be changing Think through how we can change our methods to cater for the new breed of volunteer Give you some tools to help you develop your volunteer management practices
What s going on in the world of volunteering?
Is this an issue? % of clubs who say lack of volunteers is an issue (2017 RYA Census) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 % of clubs who considered the number of people willing to volunteer to run the club and activities as a factor which most limits the capacity of the club or size of club membership
Stated Importance How is this likely to affect member satisfaction? Satisfaction Drivers (importance & impact) By combining the importance and impact scores into one matrix, it is possible to define four broad categories of customer requirements. 9.0 8.5 8.0 GIVENS/SATISFACTION MAINTAINERS Access to water, mooring and launching facilities The opening hours of availability or access Changing facilities at the club The clubs attitude to safeguarding children and vulnerable people Level of membership fees The clubs attitude to health and safety Food and beverage facilities at the club Approachability of people running the club The way the club communicates with you Being able to get advice from other club members if you need it The club has a welcoming atmosphere The water-based activities provided by the club The interaction informal chatter with other members The effort the club puts into attracting new members SATISFACTION DRIVERS/ENHANCERS The club meeting your needs as a member The club making you feel like a valued member The club s reputation 7.5 Other charges (e.g. Mooring, berthing, boat hire, boat parking etc.) The club provides opportunities for you to improve your boating skills The facilities for storing your own equipment The equipment at the club for members to use The social activities provided by the club 7.0 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80 MARGINALS Impact on overall satisfaction HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES
What can we do about it?
Step 1 Identify the problem
Who s volunteering/not volunteering?
Summary of SE data Proportion of population who volunteer is decreasing (across all sport & activity) Mostly SEC 1 (managerial/professional) 42% are 16 24 & 45 54 age groups 60% male Having children can be a driver for some roles and a hindrance to others different for males/females
Why do people volunteer? Give back to the sport? Give back to the community? Make new friends? Connect/interact with others? Seeking an experience? Sense of belonging? Feel good about yourself?
Why do people volunteer? Reasons Inspired by someone or something seeking an experience Identity feel useful Social Legacy and giving back Benefits It can be social and open It s about working together and supporting each other It has an air of fun Being part of a community Source: English Federation Disability Sport
What does the SE data tell us?
What has changed? Gen Y and Z Extended families Active 3 rd Age Less ownership New experiences On demand access Quick and easy Do / try many activities Multiple generations Caring for elders Young children + late teens Multiple demands on time Doing many activities Living longer Staying active Disposable income Travel Health & welfare
In understanding how these seismic shifts are affecting volunteering..
The new breed of volunteer Is very busy, has many obligations, and often volunteers for multiple organisations Wants flexibility Expects to be empowered Won t tolerate working alongside incompetent volunteers Is tech-savvy Doesn t want to simply make a contribution; they want to make a difference Doesn t want to be micro-managed
Likely impact on volunteering? Gen Y and Z Extended families Active 3 rd Age Factors, needs & wants Less ownership New experiences On demand access Quick and easy Do / try many activities Multiple generations Caring for elders Young children + late teens Multiple demands on time Doing many activities Living longer Staying active Disposable income Travel Health & welfare Impact on volunteering What s in it for me? Opportunity cost Fear of commitment Reliance on technology Time & flexibility Opportunities to participate with family Other commitments Away more Participation vs volunteering More selective What does this mean for us????
Step 2 Explore information and create ideas
The Volunteer Management process Recruit Recognise Retain Reward
Recruitment Recruit Recognise Retain Reward
Futures impact on recruitment Impact of reduced time/increased commitments?? Won t respond to adverts/announcements, needs to be approached Prefers short-term commitments Will probably need talking into A want to feel valued -?? Role needs to match their skill-set (importance of clear R&R/charters) Needs to be fun and to make a difference They need to understand and believe in the mission! Impact of new technology -?? Can they undertake their role from home? Do they need to attend committee meetings? What about virtual meetings? Are there new ways to make recruitment easier for YOU? Building a network internally Building a network externally
7 Seven Deadly Sins of Recruitment 1. Expect announcements to get volunteers 2. Go it alone 3. Recruit only volunteers who make long-term commitments 4. Assume that No means Never 5. Recruit whoever you can (link to R&R, position charters etc.) 6. Not matching roles to volunteer (i.e. asking busy professionals to clean the kitchen!) 7. Put someone in charge of volunteers who knows nothing about volunteers!
The Volunteer Management process Recruit Recognise Retain Reward
Futures impact on retaining & rewarding Impact of reduced time/increased commitments?? Being flexible & understanding of short-term drop-off Rewarding at time of role (not creating another commitment) e.g. free food and & drink? Making it enjoyable & FUN! A want to feel valued -?? Importance of feedback Privileges or perks? Increase knowledge conferences and events? Impact of new technology -?? Can they undertake their role from home? Do they need to attend committee meetings? Can you run virtual committee meetings? Are there new ways to make retaining of volunteers easier for YOU? Delegate, empower.unleash their passion!
Making it easier for YOU! Passion: Are your volunteers passionate about your mission? It all starts there! Focus: Is that passion focused on achievable actions or goals? Team: How are you building community among your volunteers? Do they love working with you? Training: Is our training geared for the new breed of volunteers who want to do it their way?
10 Top tips to Retain & Reward 1. Discover what motivates volunteers 2. Give regular feedback 3. Offer special privileges or perks 4. Send volunteers to conferences 5. Provide On-the-job vocational training 6. Be available for questions/concerns 7. Provide free food 8. Giving public affirmations 9. Provide tangible incentives 10. Have fun!
And lets not forget Recognition Club awards do you have your own awards? Regional volunteer awards RYA National Volunteer Awards and National Volunteer Awards Impact on volunteer? Impact on other volunteers?
Conclusions Remember that traditional routes to/models of volunteering are changing and organisations are competing for volunteers. Those who donate time want to know it is well spent, that work is well organised and their contribution is valued We need to be thinking about how we can give our volunteers a great experience Volunteering may be regarded as a way to learn new skills, meet new friends, or make a valuable contribution to a cause. It may lead to employment and new careers!
Seismic shifts in volunteering Family Dynamics: From Happy and whole to Fragmented and fraught Isolation: From community to individualism Flexibility: From rigid scheduling to volunteer availability Generations: From experienced veterans to novice Gen Y Technology: From face-to-face to cyberspace Professionalism: From skilled workers to knowledge workers Episodic Volunteering: From long-term commitments to short-term projects Slacktivism: From hard work to easy, feel-good tasks Micro-Volunteering: From big-time commitments to bite-sized projects Speed: From slow movements to fast responses to change
Help & resources https://www.gov.uk/government/get-involved/takepart/volunteer https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/ https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/volunteering/emplo yer-supported-factsheet https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/sep/03/charitiesvolunteers-employment-law-advice https://www.improvinglivesplymouth.org.uk/volunteers https://www.tcv.org.uk/southwest http://www.cspnetwork.org/ https://www.sportengland.org/our-work/volunteering/ https://www.volunteerscotland.net/fororganisations/guidance/all-guidance-and-templates/
Any questions?