Volunteer recruitment: New perspectives

Abstract

This article tackles the problem of recruiting volunteers in a world where available time is scarce. Presented here are the results of two studies conducted in sequence to understand the structural components of current volunteering and, subsequently, to know what motivates volunteers to get involved and their expectations toward organizations. Results show that volunteers make personal decisions to get involved and have to feel personally touched by the cause and the organizations dealing with this cause. They have expectations about the quality of their volunteering experience based on their feeling of making a difference, being useful, and having fun with others whether beneficiaries or volunteers. These results helped to frame a recruitment framework in two major phases. The first evaluates and improves an organization’s internal and external ability to recruit, and retain volunteers, its perception in the community, and the desirability to be a volunteer. The second phase proposes a recruitment process.