Whether you are a non profit organization executive director, volunteer coordinator or HR manager, you may be in the position of recruiting volunteers at some time. Just as salespeople are always selling, those who work in non profits are always recruiting volunteers. Whether you’re recruiting your first or your one hundredth volunteer, these four steps can help you be more successful at it.

1. Be sure you have a position description for each volunteer position needed. Writing a description will focus your thinking on exactly what duties you need performed, what skills and knowledge it will take to perform the job, and what training you’ll need to offer. You may decide the position can’t be filled by a volunteer—and it’s better to discover that before you start the interview process.
2. Write up a recruitment plan. You’ll find it much easier to find the right volunteer if you look in the right place. For example, if you need an event coordinator, you probably won’t send out a general “volunteers wanted” posting to your email list. For such a specialized position, it might be better to tap into a personal network of qualified individuals. For help with parking the evening of the event, a more general appeal on your NPO’s Facebook page will probably suffice.
3. Plan the interview. Being organized and professional will demonstrate to the candidate that you take their volunteering very seriously. Prepare questions that relate directly to the position and its responsibilities. Ask each interviewee the same set of questions, and don’t ask anything that is prohibited by law, such as marital status, religion and family-related questions.
   
   
4. Expand the usual list of questions. The interview is the only time you’ll have to get to know a candidate before you make a decision. A wide variety of (lawful) questions may help you screen out individuals who may cause harm to the organization. Of course, the interview should never take the place of a thorough background check. Preparing with the right questions can help you ascertain whether an individual is a strong communicator, is willing to learn, has a commitment to the program, or is suited to working on a team.

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