Induction

Once you have found someone suitable for the role they need to be inducted into your organisation. The volunteer’s motivations and the nature of the role will help you determine how formal this process is. 

When inducting volunteers share information about your organisation including: 

• Values and mission 

• Processes for providing feedback and handling complaints. 

• Relevant policy information. 

• Details on organisational structure and key people. 

• IT systems. 

It also gives your organisation another opportunity to clarify the role with volunteers, explain what is expected from them and highlight the benefits they will get out of it. You should also discuss their expectations and motivations which will guide how you support them while they volunteer. 

You should provide your volunteer information on their legal rights and your organisation’s obligations. Volunteer Australia have developed a checklist to help with this. 

The induction process should be as welcoming as possible and culturally appropriate. The use of simple English is a must and translated materials should also be provided. Refer to the Practicing Cultural Inclusion module for further information on how to adopt a culturally sensitive approach.  

At the end of the induction put aside some time to collect feedback from volunteers about their experiences during recruitment and induction. Ask them if the organisation could have done anything better during that process and take it on board the next time you are looking for volunteers. 

Volunteer ACT have developed a comprehensive resource for onboarding volunteers which can provide you with further information on the topic.