They started off by suggesting you should get the background information, on your members, who want to volunteer so you can match them up with the best committee or task force.
Assessments help both the volunteer and staff. Working together is key.
Put another way, getting the right people in the right seats on the bus. Does that sound familiar? That was a key component in the book Good to Great.
They talked about three different types of assessments (tools).
- A getting to know you assessment – use an online survey to get their skill-set, do they like to work in a group or individually? What do they have passion for in your program of work? What’s their time commitment, what are their motivations that makes them want to volunteer? For a great resource on this subject go HERE for the book Decision to Volunteer.
- The volunteer self-assessment – they referenced IOM faculty member Bob Harris and his board self-assessment tool and other great resources that can be found HERE. The key is to give the volunteer an opportunity to reflect on their commitment, role, experience, etc. It allows volunteers to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This self-assessment could be administered half-way through your volunteer’s experience and adjustments can be made if applicable.
- Experience assessment (after a year of volunteering or end of term) – think of this as an exit survey. This is a great opportunity to get great feedback that you can use for future interactions with your volunteers. Find out what they liked and didn’t like about their experience. This will make your future volunteer experiences better and your chamber a better organization.
At the end of the day, you want volunteers that are engaged and will move your agenda forward. Be upfront with your volunteers and let them know you do these assessments to learn how you can create better volunteer experiences for those that come after them.
For resources on volunteer management go HERE.
