A strong volunteering team can really help take your event to new levels. The benefits of getting volunteers onboard are huge. Not only can you save your organisation money, you can infuse your event with an energetic staff that can share their enthusiasm with your attendees.

So, how do you get the best volunteers onboard and to work on your events? Here are five simple tips to recruit the best volunteers for your next event:

  1. Define Clear Roles: If you have clearly defined roles for your volunteers, it will make it easy for interested parties to feel like they have valuable skills for those specific roles. Rather than a generic plea for help, a compelling role with a concise job description can help the volunteer make the decision to get in contact with you to say “I can do that!”
  2. Get Organised: Always be ready for your volunteers. When someone takes the time to get in contact, be prepared for them.  By having a system for taking volunteer sign-ups, you can set clear expectations with the volunteer. If you are disorganised and do not follow up in a timely fashion, it gives the appearance that their time is neither valued or appreciated.
  3. Work Social Media: Social media can be a huge help when reaching out to people. Leverage your social media presence to get the word out about your needs. Plug into groups that overlap with your organisation’s cause or area of interest, such as interest groups on LinkedIn and Facebook.
  4. Make the Value Proposition Apparent: Volunteers often want to know why they should spend their free time at your event helping out. Whether it’s a cause they identify with or provides them with “inner circle” access, make it clear what they will get out of helping out your organisation.
  5. Build a Network with Your Existing Volunteers: Create a social group – try to build opportunities online and offline for the volunteers to connect. Bringing the group together at a social event that can be both informational and fun will make it easy for volunteers to feel like they belong to a group. This is powerful motivator to get those volunteers to participate year after year.

Bonus Tip: Show appreciation! Be sure to show your gratitude early and often. Volunteers want acknowledgement and a thank you. It’s amazing how far appreciation and a simple thank you will go after the event. Recognising people’s efforts isn’t hard. It could be a simple thank you letter follow up, post event, or a paid for lunch on the day. It’s often a simple gesture that makes all the difference.