4 effective ways to make volunteers do what they volunteered for
Make sure they know the process and expectations
It’s helpful to have an in-person meeting with all current and new volunteers outlining exactly what their roles and objectives are. Don’t forget to highlight the importance of their efforts and thank them for their willingness to help!
Make sure that everyone understands and agrees to follow your ministry’s process. Your process includes (but is not limited to) how someone requests care, how someone is assigned to a counselor, how appointments are scheduled, how notes are recorded, etc. Volunteers need to understand not only what your ministry’s process is, but why your particular process is in place.
The ultimate reason for why your ministry has particular process is so that you can provide the best quality of care. If, for example, volunteers need to record their session notes within a particular timeframe, and the volunteers are late, it’ll cause the administration to spend less time counseling, and spend more time managing their volunteers. This loss of time results in a poorer quality of care for your counselees.
TIP: When you meet with your volunteers to discuss your ministry’s process and roles, providing light refreshments and time for fellowship is always appreciated!
Make sure they’re adequately trained
If your volunteers don’t feel confident in what they’ve been trained to do, they’ll have a difficult time fulfilling their roles and responsibilities. Some, out of frustration, some leave the ministry entirely. Checking in with each volunteer individually after training and asking, “Do you feel like you have a good handle on all this?” can go a long way.
Have clear, secure communication
This goes without saying, but clear communication helps prevent misunderstandings. For privacy concerns, don’t communicate anything confidential about a case/counselee over text or email. It’s best to either have these conversations either in person or via a secure messaging platform, like private messaging in BibliCare.
Express love and thankfulness
As you are probably already aware, counseling can be a thankless ministry. Don’t neglect to constantly shower your counselors with love and appreciation for everything they’re doing for God’s glory in their counsel. Recognize them in front of others (without compromising confidentiality), and remember to thank them profusely and often!
TIP: Periodically send your volunteers handwritten thank you cards.