Interviewing Volunteers: What Comes After Hello · Interviewing Volunteers: What Comes After Hello Presented by Lori Gotlieb Director, Volunteer Resources The Arthritis Society and

Interviewing Volunteers: What

Comes After Hello

Presented by Lori Gotlieb

Director, Volunteer Resources The Arthritis Society and President ,Lori Gotlieb Consulting

[email protected]

© 2013 Lori Gotlieb. All Rights Reserved .

WHY DO WE INTERVIEW? Determine mutual benefit and screen for risk

Client protection

Staff and volunteer satisfaction

Explore options

Understand volunteer motivation

Fit

Understand expectations

Screening tool


QUALITIES AND SKILLS

Openness

Warmth

Listening

Prompting

Conversation

Recording

Knowledge (know about the organization and how the role relates)


TIPS FOR INTERVIEWING

Have the right people doing the interview

Do the interview in a safe, quiet location

Have specific questions written down

Ask both open ended questions

Discuss scenarios

Let them know what next steps are


KEY CONCEPTS FOR

INTERVIEWING

• Determining fit

• 4 Key steps to interviewing

• Essential interview skills

• Prepare for special problems


DETERMINING FIT

Mutual screening

Protect clients and consumers

To maintain morale

Risk management


4 KEY STEPS © 2013 Lori Gotlieb. All Rights Reserved .

BEFORE YOU MEET

Job descriptions

Interview process

Content for interview

What to look for: how

to ask

Designing relevant

questions


PREPARE FOR INTERVIEWING CHALLENGES

Shy

Talkative

Unmotivated

Attitude

Wants position but not qualified

Short term work

Can only interview on telephone

Online interviewing


ESSENTIAL INTERVIEW

SKILLS

Work the questions

Open ended questions

Listening is key


INTERVIEW

Telephone interview

Face to face (focus on service description and interests)

Individual or group (youth)

Investigate background

Past volunteer experience

Verify qualifications (driving)

Red flags: gut feeling

Process for acceptance


TYPES OF QUESTIONS

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself and some of your interests and hobbies.

2. What are a few of your special skills or strengths that make you an ideal volunteer candidate?

3. Have you volunteered before? Where? How long? What did you do? Are you still? If not, what took you away from there? What did you like about that program? Not like? Potential conflicts?

4. What do you think makes a person a good volunteer?


TYPES OF QUESTIONS

5. What attracts you to working at (Organization Name)? 6. Where do you see yourself working in the (Organization Name)? Are you interested in working in a specific area? 7. How many hours a day/week would you like to volunteer? 8. What is important to you as you think about volunteering? What do you see as the result of your volunteering? 9. Is there anything else you’d like us to know about?


LEADERSHIP SKILLS

What skills and qualifications do you have that will

help you in this position?

Describe a leadership role you have held?

What made that role challenging?

What did you like about serving in a leadership

role?

What did you dislike?

What keeps you motivated?

How do you like to be recognized?


HUMAN RELATIONS SKILLS

What kind of people do you most enjoy working

with?

Describe a time when you've been involved in a

conflict with another individual or group.

How did you handle the situation?


OTHER AREAS TO ASK…

Adaptability Describe a situation in which you did not get your way or when you did not

agree with a decision made.

Communication What, in your opinion, makes a good listener?

Organization Ask about a typical day or about handling a project

Dependability Describe one project/activity for which you had total responsibility from the

beginning to the end.


Placing unqualified or otherwise unsuitable

volunteers benefits no one

Never lower your initial screening standards

Never cut corners when screening

Document your interview and screening

Determine protocol and recognize risks


HOW TO SAY “NO”

Notification

Be sensitive

Personal approach

Don’t ignore

Don’t lie

Thank you

Alternative jobs

Future


THANK YOU

Questions?

[email protected]


Documents

Interviewing Volunteers: What Comes After Hello · Interviewing Volunteers: What Comes After Hello Presented by Lori Gotlieb Director, Volunteer Resources The Arthritis Society and