SPECIAL OLYMPICS VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT SERIES

DESIGNING VOLUNTEER

JOBS

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Volunteer Management Series

Learning Objectives: Volunteer Job Design

• Concur with the significance of good volunteer job design

• Analyze the trends in volunteering and their impact on design or re-design of volunteer jobs

• Design new volunteer job opportunities within your Program

• Name the necessary components of written job descriptions

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Volunteer Management Series

Key Concepts of Designing Jobsfor Volunteers

1. Good volunteer job design is pivotal to the ultimate success of a volunteer program.

2. Understanding trends in volunteering should impact the job design and re-design in your Program.

3. Expanding the ways volunteers are utilized within your Program will enable it to more effectively reach the mission of Special Olympics.

4. Job descriptions should include all essential information.

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Volunteer Management Series

Key Concept #1

Good volunteer job design is pivotal to the ultimate success of a volunteer program.

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Volunteer Management Series

Activity - Job Design

• What problems or benefits did you experience when

working without a clear, written job description?

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Volunteer Management Series

Benefits of Written Job Descriptions

• Clear understanding of what is expected

• Marketing tool for recruitment

• Guide for screening

• Basis for supervision and evaluation

• Contract between volunteer and Program

• Volunteer jobs understood by co-workers

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Volunteer Management Series

Key Concept #2

Understanding trends in volunteering should impact the job design and re-design in your Program.

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Volunteer Management Series

Trends in Volunteering

• Short term volunteering

• Desire for freedom, ability to act quickly

• Volunteers want challenging, interesting assignments

• Volunteers come from a broader cross-section of society

• Volunteers expect to be treated professionally

• People are more interested in helping causes than organizations

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Volunteer Management Series

Trends in Volunteering (continued)

• Volunteers need flexibility in hours

• Family and group volunteering is popular

• Volunteers are often looking for job experience, training, re-entry to employment

• Many people with professional skills are interested in volunteering

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Volunteer Management Series

Responses to Volunteer Trends

• Design episodic short term jobs

• Offer job sharing

• Provide group volunteer opportunities

• Targeted recruitment (youth, professionals, retired, ethnic groups, etc.)

• Offer flexible hours and locations

• Organize a substitute system of volunteers

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Volunteer Management Series

Responses to Volunteer Trends(continued)

• Reimburse volunteer expenses

• Break down committee work into time-limited task force work

• More efficient use of volunteer time

• Broaden ways volunteers are utilized

• Develop positions for evenings and weekends

• Develop jobs that can be done off site

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Volunteer Management Series

Key Concept #3

Expanding the ways volunteers are utilized within your Program will enable it to more effectively reach the mission of Special Olympics.

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Volunteer Management Series

Activity to Design New Volunteer Jobs

• Brainstorm programs and services you wish your Program could accomplish but cannot, due to limited resources.

• Discuss these ideas and begin to develop some new and innovative potential volunteer jobs from the above “dream list.”

• Refine the jobs and develop potential job descriptions.

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Volunteer Management Series

Key Concept #4

Job descriptions should include all essential information.

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Volunteer Management Series

Elements in an Ideal Volunteer Job Description

• Job Title• Supervisor• Goal or purpose of job• Major responsibilities• Time commitment• Qualifications (Required, Desired)• Work location• Benefits to volunteer• Date of job design or re-design

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Volunteer Management Series