Table Of Contents

The Six R's of Recruiting

RELATE

Relate and network with everyone.  The most effective recruitment method of all time is 'word of mouth'.  Are you using this method to its fullest?  Enthusiastic, happy volunteers are your greatest publicity.  Get them networking as part of your recruitment plan.  Provide all your volunteers with business cards that contain the recruitment message, so they can proudly give them to people who ask about their volunteer work and how they may also become involved.  Too expensive to provide volunteers with their own business cards? What about a printer donating cards or designing your own handwritten ones.  Get creative!

Networking with people is both an art and a skill.  Here are some top tips on networking effectively:

Provide both volunteers and paid staff with training on 'how to network'

At social events it is much better to meet a smaller number of people and have a quality conversation with each one, than meeting a large number of people but never really stopping to 'get to know them

Develop skills in the techniques of active listening and asking open-ended questions

If given a referral to a person who may be a potential volunteer - always follow-up!

Interested in doubling the number of volunteers who have in your organisation?  Use the networking circles.  Have each volunteer brainstorm all those people they have in their networking circles, from close family members and friends, through to distant acquaintances.  You would be surprised how many people each volunteer has in their networking circles. Ask them to contact people in their own networking circles, with the aim of each volunteer recruiting one more volunteer into the organisation.

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