Associations rely on volunteers for vision, strategy, and content creation. Previously, volunteers eagerly offered their time and efforts, sometimes even more than expected. However, this trend is shifting, and associations now face challenges in recruiting and retaining volunteers.
To address this, organisations must invest in effective volunteer recruitment and management tactics. Research is crucial to understand volunteers, their motivations, and challenges, especially with the new generation of young volunteers, who differ significantly from their predecessors.
This is a pivotal moment for associations to develop recruitment strategies that emphasize transparency, inclusion, diversity, equity, and other values important to the next generation of volunteers.
This article is based on personal experience and research conducted for the Solvay Business School of Economics (Executive Master in International Association Management) titled: Using personas to create a value proposition for volunteer management in associations which can be consulted here. The research focused on the motivations and challenges of young volunteers in medical associations, using the marketing model of the development of personas. The opinions expressed in this article and in the paper are my own and do not represent an official position of the ESC.
Why is volunteer recruitment important?
Van Puyvelde et al. wrote in 2016: “Maintaining active participation of members in running their association is another important challenge facing associations. […] Leader recruitment is often personalistic and informal, based on friendship relationships and weak ties (friends of friends), which can promote oligarchy and elitism.”
Associations are struggling to recruit effectively, to ensure diversity and representation on their boards and volunteer task forces, and more specifically, to recruit young volunteers.
Traditional approaches to volunteer management often fail to adequately address the specific challenges faced by volunteer leaders. Generic engagement strategies do not take into consideration an individual persons’ motivations and difficulties they may face in their role. Understanding the unique needs and motivations of young volunteers is essential.
What do volunteers want?
Out with the “old boys club” (but not out with the old: turning ourselves towards the young generation does not mean turning our backs on the older generations, although that is another debate)! We need to be perceived as open, inclusive, fair and transparent. Here are a couple of things that will help.
Vision, mission & values
Research shows that the young generation will choose carefully where they volunteer their time. Their first considerations will be for the association’s vision, mission and values. Show your association’s impact in a way that your volunteers can relate to. Let’s face it: they will not read your annual report and even if they do, they might not be amazed with all of the figures on growing membership, growing attendance at congress, etc. But they will be more interested to read about the impact your activities are having on their community (on how, for instance, participants at your congress take home tangible benefits that impact their practice, directly affecting their patients).
Professional associations need to promote and advertise their values, but more importantly demonstrate how they deliver on them. It’s not enough to say that gender balance or geographical diversity is important to your organisation (especially if the reality of your board composition shows otherwise): you need to demonstrate how you will achieve this. It’s time to update your Constitution, your election rules and deliver on these engagements.
The International Association of Public Transport (UITP), recently awarded the European Association DEI Award, issued their “UITP Policy On Gender Equality” in 2021 and conducted a series of initiatives and actions to maximise adherence of their stakeholders. This is showing concrete results today: UITP’s Executive Board is now one-third women, the Management Board is balanced, and the number of women speaking at UITP panels has doubled. Notably, UITP now has its first female President in its 140-year history.
Inclusivity and ethics are crucial values for the younger generation. Demonstrate your commitment to these values by ensuring equal opportunities for all volunteers and combating discrimination. Upholding high ethical standards and maintaining transparency in operations are essential. Take proactive steps: establish an Ethics Committee, publish and actively promote your Code of Conduct or Code of Ethics, and engage your stakeholders. Be transparent about how complaints are submitted and managed within your association.
The European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, for example, promote “integrity”, “transparency”, “independence” and ‘social responsibility” as their values and the Chapter 8 of their “Rules of Procedure” explains the role & responsibility of the Appeals and Complaints Committee and the appeals and complaints procedure.
Traditional approaches to volunteer management often fail to adequately address the specific challenges faced by volunteer leaders. Generic engagement strategies do not take into consideration an individual persons’ motivations and difficulties they may face in their role.
Transparent & fair recruitment process
Make it clear and easy for volunteers to understand how they can contribute to your association. Provide details and transparency on the election or selection process, and provide feedback to your volunteers, even if they are not selected. Make sure you provide terms of reference, precise responsibilities and expectations for the role, and an idea of how much of their time will be required on a weekly basis, as well as how much travelling is involved. Show them that there are different ways to get involved, so they can find the one that best suits them.
Support systems, training, recognition
To help them engage, you can show them how you will support them throughout their experience. Explain your onboarding system, tell them what kind of support they will receive from permanent staff, if you provide any technical assistance, whether you offer any training, etc.
Finally, implement strategies to recognize volunteer contributions. Highlighting testimonials on your website, newsletter, social media, and at your annual congress effectively showcases volunteers and demonstrates the benefits of active involvement. For example, the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology publishes testimonials annually during its congress, celebrating volunteer impact and engaging members all the way towards its 20th anniversary. This approach not only honors volunteers but also inspires others to participate.
Take it one step further: develop your Personas
If your organisation wants to really understand its volunteers, their motivations and pitfalls, you should invest in marketing research. One model that is particularly helpful, is the development of Personas.
The process of creating personas involves collecting data through interviews, surveys, and/or observations. This data is analyzed to identify trends and groupings, which form the basis of the personas. Each persona includes a name, demographic details, goals, pain points, and behavioral traits. By understanding the distinct needs and preferences of different personas, organizations can create a tailored value proposition including targeted messages and solutions that resonate with each segment, leading to higher engagement and satisfaction.
The diverse roles and motivations of volunteer leaders in professional associations make the use of personas particularly relevant. A persona-driven approach in volunteer management can prove very valuable for associations to be more competitive in recruiting and retaining volunteers, creating a more inclusive and supportive work environment to cater for a diverse range of individuals.
This is a highly exciting time for associations: the next generation of young volunteers is at our fingertips. By fully integrating them, we will open our associations to a new realm of possibilities.