Volunteer Recruitment and Management
Rowing WA recognises that volunteers are the lifeblood of our sport. Volunteers can be found everywhere within our sport including officials for our events, coaches for our teams, club committee members and across multiple other areas which are too numerous to list.
For WA Rowing Clubs it is important to development a volunteer management plan which considers the below areas.
Recruitment
It is important to understand that people volunteer for a number of reasons including:
- Values
- Reciprocity
- Recognition
- Understanding
- Self-esteem
(Esmond, Dunlop & CLAN WA 2004)
During Recruitment there are multiple considerations including
- Advertising- any advertisement needs to address the need of your club that the volunteer role is addressing, what makes volunteering with you so attractive and what is the next step
- Screening - Decide what your checks are required for the volunteer position. These may include a National police clearance, working with children, skippers tickets, reference check etc
- Management - Have a plan for managing applications - i.e. standard response to an email, initials phone call, information packs, application forms, interviews etc.
- Selection - In order to ensure you select the right volunteer for the role ensure you outline any specific selection criteria
Retention
Now that you have your volunteer(s) it is important that you develop and retain them. Consideration to ensure that your club is on track in this area include;
- Orientation - Ensure you cover important information before they begin i.e. policy and procedures, what they are responsible for, where to go on the day and who they report to and then on their first day ensure they are introduced to the right people and are shown where things are
- Recognition - As a minimum you should be thanking your volunteers. This can be with physical recognition such as certificates, trophies, awards or via events such as recognition lunches or functions.
- Training - Ensure you have a way of identifying the need for training and determine what outcome you would like from it. Consider if the training can be done internally and if you need to organise funding for external training.
Reasons why volunteers stay include;
- Enjoyment
- Sense of contribution
- Pride in the club
- Expectations are met
Succession Planning
Ensure that your Club has a succession plan as life long volunteers are very rare. This should include a clear exit strategy for those volunteers wishing to exit.
Tools for Clubs
Rowing WA has developed a Volunteer Management Toolkit for Clubs which can be found at the bottom of this page.
This document is designed to support Rowing WA and local clubs to deliver a well-managed and designed volunteer program to meet the needs of the state and the clubs vision of success by recognising their contribution.
Areas in the document include:
- Find Volunteers - How to assess your needs, screening volunteers, recruiting
- Getting Volunteers Started - Policy & procedures including examples, sample volunteers application form, induction checklist, welcome letter and induction manual outline
- Developing Volunteers - Recognition ideas, sample certificate, risk management, sample volunteer survey, dealing with conflict
- Appendix- Sample position descriptions for all committee members
Useful Websites & Resources
Sport Australia - Game Plan
Game Plan is a free online platform that allows sporting clubs of all sizes to get insights into their current capability in key areas of club administration, then supports ongoing club development with a suite of tools and resources
Sport Australia - Volunteer Resource Hub
A one-stop-shop, designed to bring together useful resources, tools and practical tips and tricks in one place. These resources will assist you to attract, retain and celebrate volunteers at the heart of your club and community sport more broadly.
https://www.ausport.gov.au/volunteering/volunteer-resource-hub
Sport West - True Sport
True Sport will feature sector-specific training, resources and implementation guidance while also allowing flexibility in delivery, catering for all sports, across the seasons, and across the state
DLGSC - Sport Volunteer Resources
A range of tools to support the recruitment, retention, recognition and rewarding of volunteers, including a template Volunteer Management Plan
https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/sport-and-recreation/People-and-industry/volunteers
DLGSC - Every Club
We are committed to giving every club in Western Australia access to resources, guides, training opportunities and information on how they can improve their club and support their volunteers and members.
Volunteering Australia - The Volunteering Resource Hub
An initiative of Volunteering Australia, brings together useful, evidence-based and current best practice resources, tools, research and information to support effective volunteer management.
https://volunteeringhub.org.au/
Volunteering WA
Volunteering WA makes a difference by connecting thousands of volunteers to many community organisations. Volunteering WA aims to build strong communities through volunteering and provide a range of resources, services and support so that people in Western Australia are aware of, and understand, the nature and scope of volunteer activity. Rowing Clubs can utilise Volunteering WA's website to advertise vacancies and also access additional resources and training opportunities. The website can be accessed here