Working with Volunteers - the key resource

The vast majority of youth work in our churches relies, often exclusively, on volunteers. Working with volunteers can be rewarding and exciting but brings its own challenges. There’s nothing like working alongside people who are well-motivated and it is this MOTIVATION that is the key to managing volunteers successfully. A highly motivated volunteer is worth their weight in gold! A slip in motivation can, however quickly and seriously undermine a volunteer’s - and hence a youth group or Sunday school’s - effectiveness.

Signs of high motivation:

• Ideas & initiative
• A “can do” approach
• Supportive of others
• Happy to ‘go the extra mile’

Signs of low motivation:

• “busy diary syndrome”
• less dependable/reliable - sickness
• weariness – “brave face”
• little positive to say about the work
• Watch out! This worker will say “I’m OK” right up until they leave!

Here are some of the factors that, typically, reduce motivation amongst volunteers:

• Poor or hasty recruitment – the reluctant or ill-informed volunteer
• No (formal or informal) ‘Job Description’ – “I don’t really know what’s expected of me”.
• Few signs of progress/Work is poorly resourced/equipped.
• Workers taken for granted – “People only take an interest when there’s a problem”

So what can be done to try and ensure that volunteers’ motivation is maintained? Obviously, an individual’s personal circumstances are largely out of your hands. Nevertheless there are some basic steps that can be taken to help volunteers develop and maintain a healthy motivation for the work:

1. The “INSET” Principle. Minimise the time-burden by closing the club/group (say) once every half term for staff meetings, training, retreat or just a social. You get quality time with your team without adding to their diary-pressure
2. Recruit people properly. Don’t pressurise people: Put things in writing and let them go away and think about it. Spell out the commitment involved; offer a ‘no obligation try out period’ (probation is part of child protection policies anyway); and tell them to whom they are accountable and what they can expect in terms of support, resourcing and training
3. Get together frequently to ‘unload’. A 15-minute ‘de-brief’ after clearing up the session works wonders for team morale and ensures no-one goes home isolated in their feelings (of elation or dejection)! This time forms part of any ‘Job Description’.
4. Resource and “Profile” your work. Make sure that your work is always talked about! Use pictures, videos, stories, reports, web-sites, newsletters – anything to keep your work high-profile. Your workers feel great being part of something your host agency is proud of – in addition, recruitment (and asking for funds) becomes much easier
5. Treat your volunteer as a ‘whole person’. They have a life other than your youth work! ‘Diary in’ the time to drop round for coffee (for example) every half term to see how they’re doing outside the youth work environment (supervision).

These steps are just some ideas – a start-point for reflection borne out of the experience of many. There is no doubt, however, that many of us in youth and children’s work rely upon volunteers who are well-motivated, supported and resourced. Effort invested in them can reap untold dividends in our effectiveness with children and young people.