Level – BasicTopic: Human Resources & Volunteers Management

Module 1: Introduction to volunteering DU 1.1:Role of volunteering: the fabric of a tighter society

What is volunteering – basic concepts and mythsVolunteering as a personal, organisational and community value  DU 1.2: Volunteering: a meaningful experience for everyoneHow to choose a suitable volunteering activity Basic rights and responsibilities as a volunteer

REVEAL Course HR&VMModule 1

Level – BasicTopic: Human Resources & Volunteers Management

Module 2: A different kind of HR

D.U. 2.1: HR applied to VM: The volunteer coordinator

What is volunteering – basic concepts and myths

Volunteering as a personal, organisational and community value

  

D.U. 2.2

Enabling a volunteer-friendly environment

REVEAL Course HR&VMModule 2

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The definitions of volunteering can vary,

but it is generally considered an activity

carried out of free will, whereby a person

offers its time, talent, skills for the benefit

of the community, without having a

financial gain.

Definition

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Main features that make volunteering distinct from other forms of involvement:

1.Volunteering is an activity freely chosen by each individual. People must have the choice to get involved or not to get involved, and any form of coercion is incompatible with the spirit of volunteering

2.It is an activity directed towards the benefit of the community or the common good or the environment, as opposed to the benefit of a single individual.

3. No remuneration is provided or expected for the activity (except the reimbursement of direct expenses generated by performing the activity, like transportation and materials)

4. (optional) It is an organized activity, under the umbrella of an organization or another formal or informal group.

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Benefits

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Benefits of volunteering for individuals:

•Gaining work experience and learning how to handle responsibilities•Learning new information, abilities, competencies•Doing something good for the community•Sharing your experience and feeling useful•Keeping in use your competences•Making friends, networking and getting to know public personalities•Interacting with other social groups of people and beneficiaries, getting new perspectives •Starting a career or testing a new career•Being part of a dynamic team and/or a respected organisation•Being part of a movement, change •Having fun

Benefits

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Benefits of volunteering for organizations:

•The number of beneficiaries served by the organisation is raised•The number, quality or the reach of services offered is increased•Effectiveness of work is increased, and reaching the goals of the current programs becomes easier•Volunteers can become ambassadors of the organisation in the community•Volunteers can attract new members, other volunteers or even sponsors•Volunteers can bring much needed skills into the organisation•Volunteers can become future employees

HR in managing volunteers

Human resource management refers to the

management of the workforce of an

organisation, with the function of aligning the

workforce with the mission, managing the

processes they are involved in, responding to

needs of the workforce and managing change

in the workforce.

Particularities

• A. Planning and Program Management• B. Recruitment and Public Relations• C. Interviewing and Selection• D. Orientation and Training• E. Supervision• F. Motivation and Merit Recognition• G. Program Evaluation• H. Other responsibilities

Volunteer managementin 9 steps

• Be certain • Accept supervision • Be trustworthy • Be loyal • Say what you think • Be willing to learn something new • Learn everything you can • Be a good team player

Volunteers responsibilities

Some of the necessary abilities of working with volunteers (adapted from Ellis, 1996):

• Knowledge about volunteering and the ability to express a positive and coherent point of view on volunteering;

• A wide view when it comes to the possibilities of volunteer involvement and also about what the organization can get from this collaboration;

• A good understating a volunteers’ psychology and attention given to the individual motivations of each volunteer;

Volunteer coordinator

Some of the necessary abilities of working with volunteers (adapted from Ellis, 1996):

• A good understanding of the growth of volunteering and the expansion of the community resources (involvement of youth, adults, older persons, different minorities and persons with disabilities)

• Good managerial abilities;

• Abilities regarding interpersonal relations;

• Enthusiasm and energy;

Volunteer coordinator

Some of the necessary abilities of working with volunteers (adapted from Ellis, 1996):

• The ability to speak freely and deliver public presentation in an easy way;

• Familiarity with the potential resources form the community;

• Good abilities to analyze tasks and responsibilities because the work needs to be divided into tasks that are small enough to be distributed to volunteers;

Volunteer coordinator

Some of the necessary abilities of working with volunteers (adapted from Ellis, 1996):

• The ability to speak freely and deliver public presentation in an easy way;

• Familiarity with the potential resources form the community;

• Good abilities to analyze tasks and responsibilities because the work needs to be divided into tasks that are small enough to be distributed to volunteers;

Volunteer coordinator

Some of the necessary abilities of working with volunteers (adapted from Ellis, 1996):

• Good abilities to manage and work with details (like adjusting irregular work hours of the volunteers, etc.)

• Openness to adapt ideas from various contexts to the special needs of the organization.

Volunteer coordinator