Kids

We are in the season of recruiting leaders for the fall. The first step in our process with potential volunteers is our new volunteer orientation. You can read more about our volunteer process here.

Here are the elements of a successful orientation:

Create an Environment. At a new volunteer orientation, you are making a first impression of what it is like to serve with you. Don’t just throw together a meeting. Create an experience. Choose a color scheme. Purchase colorful tablecloths. Create centerpieces. Design printed pieces.

Provide Food. If you are leading an orientation right after the service on a Sunday morning (aka lunchtime), feed them! People are hungry after a busy morning and everyone loves to eat. Eating together creates a non-threatening reason to sit around and talk with new people.

Cast Vision. This is your chance to connect these volunteers to the true purpose for serving in your environment. Many of these folks might be in the room because they think you need help with the babies…but you are calling them to something much bigger than that! Leaders are drawn to vision not tasks.

Give Information. Most of the time, potential volunteers are still undecided and are seeking information about your environment. Look at this as the first step in their training process and give them the information that they need. You don’t have to tell them everything now. We communicate information about things like the morning schedule, job descriptions, the screening process, and where we need them.

Communicate Requirements. If you have specific requirements for serving, it’s always best to communicate those up front. If there are specific qualifications that are needed or lifestyle choices that would eliminate them, communicate these details before anyone get’s too far into the process. As uncomfortable as it might be, it’s always best to be clear from the beginning.

Answer Questions. Potential volunteers are trying to figure out how serving with you fits into their world. Make a list of all of the questions that you are asked and make sure that you communicate the answers in your orientation.

Give them a chance to ask questions at the end. We get asked questions like:

What do I do if I can’t be there on a Sunday?
What do my older kids do while I am serving?
How often do you need me?

Give Them a Clear Next Step. Be careful not to overwhelm them with all of the details in your new volunteer process. They really only want to know what they need to do next. For us, the next step is apprenticing. We communicate the details about this next step and give them a card with their apprenticing dates.

I love meeting new volunteers. This orientation is one of our main opportunities to cast vision and recruit great leaders on our teams. Take advantage of this opportunity and make a great first impression!

What’s the first step in your new volunteer orientation process?