The following are a list of useful checks to ensure that your volunteer has a welcoming, informative and rewarding first day at your organisation. Remember that orientation is an important first step to making a volunteer feel welcome in a new environment.
- Give a tour of the workplace including all the areas that are available to the volunteer such as the kitchen facilities, bathroom, offices, etc…
- Introduce Volunteer to staff members and other volunteers working within the organisation. If your organisation is large with a big staff compliment, it might be useful to use an organisational chart with details of staff and their interrelationships with other staff/organisations
- Give a brief history of your organisation and its mission plus an overview of the services you provide.
- Explain funding sources where necessary
- Go over roles of other volunteers within the service
- Describe the clients that are served by your organisation.
- Explain the meaning of confidentiality and stress its importance
- Show the volunteer their designated place of work
- Show the volunteer where they store items that are required for their work
- Give details of the procedures for reimbursement of expenses and other required reports or forms if this is necessary
- Show procedure for using phone, fax and internet if necessary
- Demonstrate any other equipment that the volunteer is likely to use eg. computers, photocopier etc..
- Give emergency phone no.s and obtain contacts for volunteer in case of emergency
- Clarify who to call or what to do if the volunteer cannot come in on a scheduled day.
- Review the volunteers role description again.
- Discuss the background on the specific project that the volunteer is working on if necessary
- Explain the procedure for requesting supplies and clerical support.
- Give a glossary of terms and abbreviations commonly used in the agency.
- Share staff schedules and when and how people can be reached if the volunteer needs contact a staff member
- Encourage volunteer to give feedback and explain how and when to voice areas of concern or make suggestions effectively
Above all
- Smile
- Show enthusiasm
- Help volunteers to meet and get to know one another
- Thank volunteers for their commitment to your organisation