10 top tips after a recruitment event
What’s the best way to keep the momentum going and converting that enthusiasm and initial interest into a longer term commitment?
1. Say thank you: It’s so simple but so important. Make a point of sending a note (even better if it’s handwritten) to thank them for their contribution or expression of interest.
2. Respond quickly: If someone has said they’d be interested in knowing more about our volunteering opportunities, then make sure you get back to them within 48 hours. There’s lots of choice available to people who want to volunteer and we may miss out if we don’t act quickly.
3. Be friendly and positive: These early conversations really matter. They set the tone when people are trying to work out what sort of organisation we are. Be conversational, helpful and supportive. Talk about the great choice they’ve made and the exciting journey they’re about to go on.
4. Be volunteer-centric: Keep the focus on the volunteer, listen carefully and try to avoid the temptation to talk too much about how we work as a movement.
5. Ask questions before suggesting a role or section: It’s vital we find out as much as we can about the potential volunteer. Would they prefer a behind the scenes role, rather than delivering activities to young people? Would they prefer to work with Squirrels or Explorers? Trying to shoehorn someone into a role that isn’t right for them won’t work in the long term.
6. Use plain English and avoid confusing terms and acronyms: It’s easy to slip into ‘Scout-speak’ that can be baffling to those new to Scouts. Take a look out our guidelines on how we talk.
7. Don’t bombard them with too much information: Only tell them what they need to know. At this stage, they don’t need to know every one of our rules, or every part of our training scheme. It’s easy to put someone off by overwhelming them with too much too soon.
8. Share what you enjoy about volunteering for Scouts: People respond to people and hearing about your positive experiences will really help give them a sense.
9. Outline the next steps: Explain clearly what will happen over the next few days, weeks and months. Be reassuring, honest and manage their expectations. Direct them to our welcome pages which will give them a good overview of who we are and what we do.
10. Stay in touch: Make a note to check in on them to make sure they’re being properly supported and not left in the dark. All this will help them feel they’re joining a team that really cares.