Establishing a Strong Volunteer Screening Process
Screening is the process of making sure that the volunteer and position are a fit for each other. This takes place in a couple ways such as self-screening.
Self-screening is when the volunteer makes a decision about whether or not they are a fit for a position based on the available information. The more accurate and in-depth the available information, the easier and more effective self-screening will be.
Screening involves the organization taking the time in order to assess various components between the volunteer and organization. This involves assessing risks to both the volunteer and organization. A background check and personal reference check are important components of the screening process - especially if the position deals with vulnerable people.
Things to Include:
In order to develop a strong screening process to protect your organization and volunteers there are several things you can do:
- Assess levels of risk and liability
- Conduct a background check
- Contact references
- Receive copies or verifications of any license, certifications or relevant education
- Conduct a criminal record check where applicable
- Ensure you're provided with the correct and appropriate information from your volunteers
While these aren't everything that you can include in a screening process, they are considerations that should be present in most cases.
Ensuring Effectiveness
While all of the things listed above should be included - where you include them can vary. One of the ways you can do to help your screening process is to include parts of the screening process in a volunteer posting such as: the necessity for a criminal record check or that a specific license may need to be verified before the volunteer begins. This helps prepare the volunteer ahead of time and can make the screening process go smoother overall. Any risks should also be included in a volunteer posting as this as an effective method of self-screening.
Another important component is taking the time to develop a set of questions specific to the position you are looking for as this will be beneficial to your organization. Asking the right questions when interviewing a volunteer will help you gather information on the kind of person they are and skills they have. This is also an opportunity to see them demonstrate some of their skills.
Getting feedback on your process is a useful tool to ensure that the screening process is effective. Asking for feedback from your clients, volunteers or colleagues may help offer alternative ideas or solutions to help optimize the process.
