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Posted: 24 Jun 2011 04:17 AM PDT  If you manage a staff at a non-profit organization, more than likely, you will deal with volunteers, which can be both rewarding and frustrating for human resource managers.Volunteers can be tricky. They aren't paid staff, yet if they perform work for an organization, they have to be managed like any other employee or the jobs they do can go to the wayside. For non-profits on a tight budget, sometimes volunteers make up the majority of the day to day tasks that must be done in order to succeed. So, where's the line? How do you keep volunteers happy and successful, but still be able to enforce the job they're supposed to do? Managementhelp.org, Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD of Authenticity Consulting, LLC, says, "There’s a misconception that there is a big difference in managing human resources in for-profit versus nonprofit organizations. Actually, they should managed similarly. "Nonprofits often have unpaid human resources (volunteers), but we’re learning that volunteers should be managed much like employees — it’s just that they’re not compensated with money; they’re compensated in other ways." Like paid staff, volunteers should have clearly defined roles. Just as some employees do not fit well in certain roles, the same can be true for volunteers. Even though they aren't receiving a traditional salary, volunteers should be recruited carefully, receive training, be supervised and have their performance monitored. Volunteers can be an amazing resource, but despite even the best intentions, problems arise. Every non-profit has had unhappy volunteers, troublemakers, unfulfilled duties and harsh feelings. But, never forget, everyone wants to do a good job. Let your volunteers help you solve the problem. They want to do a good job and make a difference. Like with salaried or paid workers, sometimes it's a matter of a volunteer being in the wrong position for their talents. Some simple questions can resolve this:
Heide Brandes is a writer and content creator for Xceptional HR. She has more than 15 years of experience as an award-winning journalist and editor who specializes in human resources, career, and recruiting topics. You can learn more about Heide, our newest contributor at HeideWrites and follow her on Twitter @heidewrite. Photo Credit Newham.gov.uk.  |
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