For many cultural organisations, volunteers have been an essential resource to deliver a great offer to visitors, but it's a relationship that has to be mutually beneficial.
I was surprised recently when one of my clients was looking for volunteers and another organisation felt it couldn’t promote the vacancy. The reason was due to concern about the art and cultural sector consistently relying on volunteers instead of paid staff.
Having worked in volunteer-led organisations for almost 20 years, I have some sympathy with this view. People have many motivations for volunteering and there can be a risk of them being seen as a free replacement for a staff member. But I have equally worked with volunteers who have chosen to evolve their role. There can be a fine line between the two.
In this case the vacancy came with the rare opportunity to volunteer within a gallery environment and a commitment to training and development for those who want it, including local art students looking for relevant work experience.
For other places, small museums in particular, volunteers are essential to them being able to open their doors, but there are some really simple tips to follow to make it work for everyone:
Be clear on the task that needs doing to support the paid team and write a really clear role profile. Be clear how the role differs from that within a paid team
Consider the motivation for someone to volunteer with you and ensure you can meet their expectations
Approach recruitment in the same way as you would for a paid member of staff - advertise the role and meet the volunteer before committing to working together
Plan a great induction to give every volunteer a sense of who you are, what they’ll be doing and essential things to know
Ensure they have everything they need to fulfil and enjoy the role
Check in with them regularly and check they understand and are enjoying the role
Treat them like they’re part of your team and ask their views - volunteers have lots of experience to offer from their own lives
Regularly review your own requirements to ensure that role should still be fulfilled by a volunteer
I have lots of experience of working with volunteers and have also learned from my mistakes over the years. Talk to me about how I can help you develop a volunteering strategy to support your place.
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