Visit this page for ideas, suggestions and hints to build volunteer recruitment capacity.
~ March 2006 ~ Topics
The Psychological Contract—Some New Observations
Interviews: Get To New Depths
Research
into psychological contracts has long been a staple of in the for-profit
sector. What personality factors and/or motivators are indicators of the
employee who stays for a long time? What keeps them enthused about the
job? In recent years researchers in the nonprofit sector began looking
at volunteers and the psychological contracts made with the organizations
for which the person volunteers. Notable among the researchers is Matthew
Liao-Troth. He has studied volunteer fire fighters and crisis counselors
to determine the type and extent of contracts made with their organizations.
A new study of psychological contracts, by Liao-Troth, examines the behavior of student volunteers. 105 students at a midwestern university, across several demographic categories, participated in the research. The average student volunteer had been with their organization for 1.84 years, and worked primarily in youth activities, although there was representation from those working in hospitals, food banks, and delivering meals to the homebound. The results of the research produced observations for managers of volunteers.
Student volunteers are interested in career exploration.
Knowing that students want to engage in a form of career exploration during
the volunteer assignment might mean altering duties or experiences for
the individual.
The organization needs to understand the psychological contract it is
offering. The normal way of using the information on psychological contracts
is from the point of view of the person volunteering. Liao-Troth suggests
organizations need to up-end that view. The organization needs to study,
with some time and effort, what psychological contracts exist now for
current volunteers.(This means testing current volunteers on certain personality
inventories). The next step is to develop a profile of what is offered
to volunteers when the person signs on. (Such things as reduced rate on
organizational events, being in on the decision making process of the
organization, etc.) Knowing this can make the search for volunteers who
are compatible with current psychological contracts easier.
Organizations use information on the psychological contract
when recruiting and screening. The suggestion here is that not everyone
is suited to all organizations. Helping potential volunteers clarify what
they want from a volunteer experience provides the opportunity for both
sides to make the right choice.
The volunteer and the organization do not spend hours in orientation,
training, and placement to end up dissatisfied with the placement.
Clarify obligations for the volunteers. Liao-Troth says, ". . .explicitly clarify what the obligations of the organizations and the entitlements of volunteers are in their mutual relationship."
Develop standard procedures for recruitment and screening. Telling volunteers in a systematic way (the same from volunteer to volunteer) about the duties and obligations of volunteering is essential to a healthy psychological contract. The manager's responsibility is to make sure happens.
Liao-Troth, Matthew. 2005 "Are They Here for the Long Haul? The Effects of Functional Motives and Personality Factors on the Psychological Contracts of Volunteers." Nonprofit and Volunteer Sector Quarterly, Vol. 34. No. 4 December 2005.
Interested in more information? Check out our online bookstore for: Episodic Volunteering: Organizing and Managing the Short-Term Volunteer Program, by Nancy Macduff and The One Minute Answer to Volunteer Management Questions, by Mary Kay Hood.
The match between volunteer and organization is crucial to success and retention. Much can be learned during the interview about a volunteer. Here are some tips on interview questions to help you get below the surface to determine whether this is a good match.
| Question | Comments |
| 1. Ask the person to describe a typical day with their last volunteer job or employment. | This is a question where the interviewer must listen between the lines and then probe for specifics. What excited you about your day? When were you bored? Who were the people the prospective volunteer interacted with? How did you react to interruptions or people changing your assignments? |
| 2. What did the previous organization for whom you volunteered value most about your participation? | A common question in interviews is to ask the person to describe strength and weaknesses. Most interviewees have pat answers to those questions. This question gets beyond that and provides a platform to continue a discussion of personal attitudes and behaviors toward work. A variation on this question is to ask what other volunteers or paid staff valued. |
| 3. What would you say drives you crazy about volunteers or paid staff with whom you have worked? | Here is a chance to see the irritants for the individual. You can also probe for what in the person makes these things irritating and thus get to weaknesses the person might bring to an assignment. |
| 4. Ask about the person’s relationship with those in positions of authority. | Organizations have their own culture. A volunteer might feel stifled in certain environments or confused in another. Understanding the person’s relationship with those in authority is a good question. “What was your relationship like with your direct supervisor? What did you like about their supervision style? What did you like least? |
| Interested in assessing volunteer and
staff relations in your program?
Looking for help from an expert? Get help with one of the Volunteer Program Evaluation Series. |
The Points of Light Foundation has forms available to nominate volunteers and volunteer organizations for the Daily Points of Light Award. It is designed recognize individuals and groups that demonstrate unique and innovative approaches to community volunteering and citizen action, with a strong emphasis on service focused on the goals for children and young people set by the Presidents Summit for American's Future. The award is given five days a week, excluding holidays. If you would like nomination forms, call 202-729-8000.
1-800-VOLUNTEER
By calling 1-800-VOLUNTEER in the U.S., individuals can be connected to their local volunteer center. This is a national interactive call routing system designed to get volunteers connected to people who can help them volunteer.
A Service of MBA
Publishing-A subsidiary of Macduff/Bunt Associates All materials copyright
protected ©2007
925 "E" Street Walla Walla, WA 99362 (509) 529-0244 FAX: (509) 529-8865
EMAIL: editor@volunteertoday.com
The content of all linked sites are beyond the
control Volunteer Today and the newsletter assumes no responsibility for their
content.