Interviewing, Screening and Placing Volunteers
Presented by: Andy Fryar

Discover how an effective interviewing and screening process assures you maximize the potential of each volunteer applicant, minimizes agency risk, and is a key step to great retention and volunteer program peace of mind. 

By participating in this seminar, participants will be able to:

• Understand the importance and impact of having a sound process in place for the interviewing, screening and placement of volunteers
• Review their own agency's volunteer engagement philosophy and process
• More confidently approach volunteer interview situations
• Deal with the "tough" questions that need to be asked during interviews
• Minimize the risk of engaging inappropriate volunteers

Anyone who has a need to interview, screen or place volunteers as a part of their work. It will also be of interest to those with a broader responsibility for the development of good volunteer management practices and the alleviation of risk in recruiting volunteers.
It is of special interest to:

• Volunteer program managers
• Line managers with responsibility to recruit and place volunteers
• Executives in a decision-making capacity about volunteer involvement
• Department heads and unit supervisors who include volunteers on their work team

Engaging new volunteers remains one of the most fundamental matters for any volunteer program. In fact, for most volunteer programs, the number of volunteers they can recruit becomes one of the largest measuring sticks of success. However, in the quest to replace aging volunteers and to ensure enough volunteers are always on hand to staff programs, many organizations take shortcuts with the process of selecting a new team member. 

Not only does this place an agency at risk, but the agency may discover later on that the volunteer they thought would be the answer to their prayers is, in fact, creating giant problems now needing to be resolved.

Building on the previous seminar on recruitment, this seminar will help you discover how an effective interviewing and screening process is a key step to greater retention and program peace of mind.

Topics to be covered include:

• Creating a strong volunteer engagement process

1. Why interview volunteers?
2. Looking at your recruitment, interviewing, screening, and placement philosophy
3. What’s right for you?
4. The positive outcomes of good interviewing and screening
5. Being interview ready
6. The role of application forms

• Interview Essentials

1. Establishing expectations
2. Things to ask...and things to forget!
3. Dealing with the tough questions
4. Police and referee checks - the why's and how's
5. Learning to dig deeper to get the answers you need
6. Wrapping up the interview

• Beyond the initial contact

1. Conducting referee interviews
2. Involving line managers in the screening and placement process
3. Following up with volunteers
4. Suggestions for creating a good first day impression
5. Introducing volunteers to your culture
6. Probationary Periods