We’re in week two of our Back to Basics series. If you haven’t read the first post in the series Finding Volunteers Who Fit Your Organization, make sure to give that a read. 

This week we’re talking recruitment. And living in the post-pandemic world, recruitment means getting creative.

1) Ask Again.
Most research agrees that the typical sales ask requires anywhere from 7 to more than 13 “touches” before the buyer is ready to decide. Many of these touches are just reminding people that you exist. The same goes for volunteer recruitment. It may take several asks before your volunteer is ready to decide to serve. While it might be repetitive and tiring for you to repeat your sales pitch, remember that this is new information that hasn’t “clicked” yet to most of your potential volunteers. So, keep asking. 

2) Make Technology Work for You.
In the past, volunteer managers did most of their recruitment face-to-face. Now, with social media, email, mass texting, and other digital channels, the possibilities are endless. We see mass texting as the future of volunteer recruitment. If you haven’t researched or invested in a texting service for your organization, now is the time to look into it. 

3) Systematize Onboarding.
Historically, volunteer recruitment happens in big pushes a few times each year for most organizations. Moving forward, volunteer teams that systematize the onboarding process will make recruitment an ongoing focus and bring in new team members consistently.

If you’re looking for more recruitment information, check out our article on How to Recruit Your Dream Volunteer Team.