When I first stepped into the world of volunteer management over 30 years ago, recruitment looked very different from what we see today. My role at the time was to recruit volunteer drivers who could take elderly people to day centres and to find people willing to cook and serve lunches. Everything was done on paper—there were no police checks, as CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks weren’t introduced in the UK until 2002 and later evolved into DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) in 2012.
It’s amazing to see just how far we’ve come since then. Volunteer management has become far more professional, with structured processes designed to meet modern expectations. And while it’s important to honour the journey we’ve been on, it’s equally vital to take stock of where we are today and understand the current landscape of volunteering.
How Things Have Changed
A lot has shifted since the early days. Surveys and data now show us that volunteers’ expectations have evolved. People want meaningful experiences, and they expect organisations to be prepared, organised, and intentional. At the same time, we’re more aware of our responsibility to safeguard vulnerable individuals, and we’ve developed robust processes to ensure this happens.
In addition, the marketplace has changed. There’s been a steady decline in formal regular once a month volunteering over the years (Community Life Survey 2023/24), which means we need to think smarter about how we attract and retain volunteers. It’s not just about finding someone who can fill a role; it’s about ensuring the experience is engaging and mutually beneficial for both the volunteer and the organisation.
The Skills We Need Today
Volunteer recruitment now requires a mix of strategic thinking and interpersonal skills. Emotional intelligence, active listening, and a thoughtful marketing strategy are all critical tools for recruiters today. Let’s take a closer look at these:
1. Emotional Intelligence
Understanding why someone wants to volunteer is key. People often want to feel that their work makes a tangible impact, and aligning their motivations with the right opportunities can create a win-win situation. Emotional intelligence allows us to listen deeply, empathize, and find roles that resonate with everyone.
2. Active Listening
Gone are the days of one-sided interviews. Active listening—asking open-ended questions, paraphrasing for clarity, and noticing nonverbal cues—helps uncover hidden potential and build trust. Visual interview methods can also be a great way to boost confidence and help both you and the volunteer determine if the role is the right fit.
3. Strategic Thinking
In the past, recruitment was often reactive and scattergun—posting a general call for volunteers and hoping the right people would show up. Now, we understand the importance of being proactive and strategic. This means developing volunteer personas to better understand your ideal candidates, creating targeted campaigns tailored to specific audiences, and using communication methods that resonate with them.
A Smarter, More Strategic Approach
Recruiting volunteers today isn’t just about filling roles; it’s about building lasting relationships and ensuring a meaningful experience for everyone involved. By taking a thoughtful, strategic approach, we can attract the right people for the right roles and create a positive impact on our organisations and communities.
So, while the tools and techniques may have changed dramatically since I started, the heart of volunteer management remains the same: it’s about people helping people. And that will never go out of style.
What changes have you noticed in volunteer recruitment over the years? Let’s share ideas and keep learning from one another!
When I started in volunteering management over 30 years ago recruitment was very different, I was responsible for recruiting volunteer drivers to take elderly people to a day centre and volunteers to cook & serve lunches. There was no police check as CRB where introduced in the uk 2002 which became DBS in 2012 and everything was on paper. We have moved on so much since that time and become more professional in our approach and it important to recognise this and understand the current landscape of the market. So what has changed we can see from survey and data that volunteers expectations have changes and we are more responsible for making sure we have processes in place to safeguard and protect the vulnerable in our communities. We are making better decisions about the volunteers we need and to offer a engaging experience. The marketplace has changed and there are less people volunteering with a drop steady in formal volunteering. As volunteer recruiters we have to think smarter and using skills like emotional intelligence, active listening and have a strategic approach to how we market our roles to attach the right people.
Emotional intelligence helps to understand why people want to volunteer, how the role makes a tangible impact on the cause we are supporting. Allowing us to align their motivations with the right opportunities creating a positive outcome for both the organisation and the volunteer.
Active listening is another invaluable skill to use while interviewing asking open ended questions, paraphrasing for clarity and paying attention to nonverbal cues. This is why having a visual interview method helps can often uncover hidden potential and build confidence ensuring the best experience for the volunteer and for you to see if they are the right fit for the role.
In the past recruitment was more ad hoc and efforts scattered hoping the right people would come forward but now being strategic thinking has become important. Thinking about the personas of your volunteers to develop and understand of who are the people and where would you find them. Creating targeted campaigns created to your specific audience in way that they would like to be communicated to and methods of recruitment that is relevant to the roles that you are looking to fill.