The best incentive you can give a Volunteer is training. Because of the nature of volunteering this is not the same as job training, sometimes this can be as simple as an email with a brief description of the event and a detail of each position, and other times this can be a full run through of the production schedule as well as the policies and procedures of the company or event as was the case of the Olympics last year. Whether it’s a full day course or a quick walk through of the area, by giving the volunteers the ability to do their job with confidence and support you are ensuring that they will enjoy the experience and want to do it again.
A good orientation should touch on a few major points.
Who’s the Client? A Volunteer should always know who the client is, because although they are volunteering for you, they may have issues with the client. (Make sure you know before they get there!)
What’s the dress code? The biggest fear in Vancouver is not dressing for the occasion! The same goes for your Volunteers.
What’s the Address? And sometimes a map helps too. Remember, if you want your Volunteer to be on time make sure they know where they are going!
What’s the time and Date? It seems obvious, however sometimes it can be overlooked. (And not just start date, I have volunteered at an event that didn’t seem to end…ever!)
What are the positions? Here is the Key to great Volunteers! Make sure they have an idea of what the positions are and how they are broken down. Some positions may require on site training, and some positions may be developed in more detail during the event, but what ever they are, let the Volunteers know so they have an understanding of what might be expected of them! (This will also make it easier to prevent “Volunteer Clustering” when it happens)
Another great tool in the orientation (and one that’s often overlooked) is getting to know your Volunteers. This is usually good to do on site which is why it’s important to have your volunteers show up a little earlier. This will let you and your team get to know a little about the Volunteers working with you at the event. Find out what their strengths are, what positions they are interested in. It not only allows you to get to know them, but allows the Volunteers to get to know each other. And if you have different shifts of volunteers arriving through out the event, make sure that they each get a chance for this interaction. It helps create unity and cohesiveness for your entire event team during the event, and also makes the volunteers feel more comfortable. As a volunteer myself, I know there have been times when I have arrived on site at an event and been a little intimidated and even overwhelmed by the scope of the event.
In closing, remember to get feedback from your volunteers as well. The measure of a great event can sometimes be gauged by the volunteer experience just as well as the guest experience. It’s good to know what they thought and how they felt about the whole event. Also, be good to your volunteers, because you never know where they might end up! For instance, guess how many of The Finer Details employees started out as Volunteers at The Finer Details events?
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