The job-hunting volunteer: make sure that your organization get the best results.(ON VOLUNTEERS)

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While it is being reported by the mainstream media with some surprise, it was predictable to volunteer program leaders that the numbers of people exploring volunteer opportunities would increase as the economy and unemployment worsened.

Mass layoffs frequently translate into new volunteers because community service brings valued benefits to the job hunter:

* The self-esteem that comes from feeling needed and valued for one's contributions;

* Structure to a week without an otherwise required schedule;

* Someplace to go to get out of the house;

* Something meaningful to place on a resume to fill the gap in time between losing one's job and landing a new one;

* Possibly new contacts in the job-hunting process; and,

* Maybe retraining for new employable skills.

For the agency that needs volunteers, however, unemployed job hunters might seem like a mixed blessing. Several issues often surface.

There's a twinge of discomfort as to why the person was laid off. If it's public knowledge that a plant has closed completely or 300 (or 3,000) employees have been released, it might he obvious that the prospective volunteer is caught in the middle. But how valued an employee was the person? Did the company use the cutbacks as a convenient cover for releasing a less-than-competent staffer?

One question is how long will your organization gain the services of the job-hunting volunteer. Will the person be in the middle of a volunteer assignment, find a new paying job, and depart suddenly? Will scheduling job interviews be more important than the volunteered time commitment?

Another thing to consider is if the person is depressed or angry at the situation of being jobless. Will the potential volunteer be worried about money or any other distraction from doing the volunteer work effectively?

And, there's always the potential to misuse the opportunity of volunteering for personal gain. For example, is the volunteer actually interested in a paid job at your agency and wants the volunteer work as an "audition" for future employment? Will the person inappropriately distribute resumes or ask for leads and contacts--at the expense of doing the volunteering?

Any of these concerns could materialize in some cases as management problems, but there's no reason to assume they will. Ideally, giving a job hunter a satisfying volunteer opportunity has great potential to get more done with a wider range of volunteers and even to start relationships that last well beyond the time the volunteer is out of work. The chance of success increases when the organization takes the time to thoughtfully explain expectations.

Decide whether or not job-hunting volunteers should be placed into ongoing assignments, especially if the work depends on a regular schedule or would be hard to interrupt at short notice. It could be necessary to create special assignments that are product or outcome focused, and that can be done in a flexible way, whether on- or off-site, at any time of day.

Then, if there is a product or outcome of the volunteer work, it is perfectly acceptable to ask the volunteer to commit to that, regardless of whether or not a paying job comes along in the meantime. It's fair to request such assurance. It has the added benefit of showing the volunteer the work is important enough for you to ask for such a commitment to seeing it through. This elevates the status of the activity and reinforces the desire for this relationship to be win-win for both the agency and the volunteer.

Besides, if the volunteer knows that the assignment can be continued on a schedule that meshes with the new job, you might end up with a long-time, loyal volunteer.

Be honest with all applicants about the potential (or lack of) for getting hired at your agency as a result of volunteering. This is almost always a poor reason to volunteer anyway. If someone is trying to prove employability, the volunteer assignment becomes a means to an end, something to be endured while awaiting the real goal. Of course, it is fully appropriate for any volunteer to describe the donated service on a resume, ask for references to a potential employer, and other forms of recognition for the volunteering completed.

RE-TRAINING FOR EMPLOYABILITY

The volunteer world periodically grapples with whether or not volunteering is or could be a form of re-training in marketable skills. In the majority of organizations, very few volunteer assignments teach skills applicable to paying jobs. This is not a criticism, just a truth.

For people with little job history and few skills, volunteering can be effective "world of work" exposure. Any volunteer assignment can teach such employment basics as coming to work on time, proper dress and demeanor, how to follow instructions, being friendly to the public on site or on the phone. Volunteering can improve adult literacy and ability with numbers, or give the chance to learn about computers.

But those who suddenly find themselves unemployed as a result of the economy already know real world basics. What can volunteering teach them? Consider the following ideas.

* How to be a consultant or trainer. Tap into the many skills the newly unemployed offer by asking for staff or volunteer training sessions, input into how the agency does its work, research or surveys, evaluations, and other technical assistance. In providing their expertise, the volunteers learn how to share their knowledge in language others can understand, find the balance between advising on and doing the work directly, be a coach and give support, and other consulting skills applicable to any setting.

* How to apply for-profit knowledge to the nonprofit and government world. Intellectually, it makes sense that someone with skills in the for-profit world can also be effective in a nonprofit. But in practice, there are many differences. Volunteering can teach business people how to plan within a much smaller budget, the sometimes lengthy way decisions are made by boards and funders, and the challenges of evaluating the value of services apart from the bottom line.

* Exploring areas of interest. A great way to gain enthusiastic volunteers is to stop considering past experience and instead ask, "What would you like to do here that you have never done before?" Volunteering can be a relatively low-risk laboratory for someone to try something completely new, take the time to research and study what has to be done, and handle incrementally more difficult assignments to practice what's being learned.

For someone trying to change careers, this might mean the chance to learn a new set of computer software, conduct a media outreach campaign, or become comfortable working with teenagers. It positions volunteering as a true internship, whether or not a school is involved.

The organization that can offer learning opportunities that lead to new jobs will attract solid volunteers, benefit from their skills, and ultimately do a service for the community at large.

Susan J. Ellis is president of Energize, a Philadelphia-based training, publishing and consulting firm specializing in volunteerism. Her email is susan@energizeinc.com. Her Web site is www.energizeinc.com

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