CS 05A Technical Aspects of Community Services Ministry

CS 05a Technical Aspects of Community Services Ministry:

Volunteer Engagement/Human Resources

1 Contact Hour

Participant’s Guide

Prepared by Nancy Kluge, Ph. D., LGPC

©2011 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®

What categories of people help you deliver your community-based ministry?

___ Volunteers

___ Employees

___ A mix of both

How do you distinguish between the two?

Volunteers Employees

Pay ______

______

Belief in ministry ______

______

Volunteer Engagement (VE)/

Human Resources (HR)

sub-area expectations ______

______

Other:

______

______

______

______

______

______

What if the distinguishing characteristics aren’t so clear?

Volunteers might want: Something back ______

A cause they can believe in ______

To operate in a well-run VE/HR system ______

______

______

______

Employees might want: More than money ______

To be part of an organization they can believe in _____

______

To operate in a well-run VE/HR system ______

______

______

______

Additional ways to think about people:

Age Cohorts: Time spans with beginning and ending birth dates that result in cohort members who experience similar national and world events that leave their mark on the beliefs, attitudes and behaviors of those in the cohort.

Life Stages: Age ranges that result in members of a particular life stage who experience similar physical, cognitive, emotional and social development.

If your group decides to examine Age Cohorts use the space below to record information provided and discussion points that you think will be helpful to your community-based ministry:

Title ______

Memorable Events:

______

______

______

Key Characteristics:

______

______

______

Effect on volunteers/employees:

______

______

______

Title ______

Memorable Events:

______

______

______

Key Characteristics:

______

______

______

Effect on volunteers/employees:

______

______

______

If your group decides to examine Life Stages use the space below to record information provided and discussion points that you think will be helpful to your community-based ministry:

Title ______

Key Characteristics:

______

______

______

Effect on volunteers/employees:

______

______

______

Title ______

Key Characteristics:

______

______

______

Effect on volunteers/employees:

______

______

______

People in any Age Cohort or Life Stage can make a contribution to your community-based ministry.

However, you need to take the Age Cohort or Life Stage into consideration as you seek and engage each individual.

Seeking and engaging individuals is a question of designing and implementing well, the sub-areas of a Volunteer Engagement (VE)/Human Resources (HR) system.

For Volunteers: For Employees:

Negotiation Position Design

Cultivation Recruitment

Agreement Selection

Support Training

Engagement Management

Measurement Performance Appraisal

Recognition Compensation

Good Negotiation/Position Design:

* Groups tasks in some logical manner ______

______

* Reduces confusion ______

______

* Identifies knowledge, skills, and abilities and links them to tasks ______

______

BUT, is flexible ______

______

Some Negotiation/Position Design questions to consider:

* Have you given much thought to the group of tasks you ask any one volunteer or employee to do?

______

______

______

* Have you given much thought to the knowledge, skills, or abilities a person might need to accomplish those tasks?

______

______

______

Good Cultivation/Recruitment:

* Gets sufficient numbers interested in being part of your ministry ______

______

BUT, is more personalized for volunteers ______

______

Some Cultivation/Recruitment questions to consider:

* How do you currently let volunteers and employees know you would like them to be involved in your community-based ministry?

______

______

______

* How effective or ineffective has your approach been?

______

______

______

Good Agreement/Selection:

* Matches individuals qualifications with position qualifications ______

______

BUT, takes the fit between individual and ministry culture into consideration ______

______

IS, flexible for volunteers ______

______

Some Agreement/Selection questions to consider:

* Do you currently match volunteer and employee qualifications with position qualifications?

______

______

______

* If so, how do you currently obtain the information you need to make this match?

______

______

______

Good Support/Training:

* Helps individuals learn what they need to know or be able to do to contribute successfully ______

______

BUT, takes busy schedules into consideration ______

______

Some Support/Training questions to consider:

* Do you currently provide any support/training to help volunteers and employees contribute more successfully to your community-based ministry?

______

______

______

* If so, how do you fit it into the busy schedule?

______

______

______

Good Engagement/Management:

* Involves delegating wisely ______

______

No BUTS ______

Some Engagement/Management questions to consider:

* Do you delegate wisely?

______

______

______

* If so, how do you think it contributes to keeping your volunteers and employees engaged?

______

______

______

Good Measurement/Performance Appraisal:

* Lets you know who is fulfilling key responsibilities well and who is not ______

______

* Provides you with the paper trail you need to prove it ______

______

AND, results in the retention of the best and loss of the worse ______

______

Some Measurement/Performance Appraisal questions to consider:

* Do you capture measurement or performance appraisal information in any written and systematic manner?

______

______

______

* If so, do you use this information to retain your best volunteers/employees and lose your worse?

______

______

______

* If not, what do you think is the effect of not doing so on retention of those you most want to retain?

______

______

______

Good Recognition/Compensation:

* Provides rewards and recognition based on contribution ______

______

BUT, does not have to be in the form of money ______

______

Some Recognition/Compensation questions to consider:

* Do you provide rewards and recognition based on individual contribution and value to your community-based ministry?

______

______

______

* If so, what are some of the types of rewards and recognition, other than money, that you provide?

______

______

______

In summary:

* Age Cohort and/or Life Stage contribution to your community-based ministry:

* Paying attention to the impact of age cohorts and/or life stages can help you attract, motivate and retain the kind of volunteers and employees that will help your community-based ministry be a success.

______

* Volunteer Engagement/Human Resources sub-areas contribution to your community-based ministry:

* Paying attention to the design and implementation of each of the VE/HR

sub-areas can help you attract, motivate and retain the kind of volunteers and employees that will help your community-based ministry be a success.

______

If you want to learn more:

* Details of how to design and implement each of the VE/HR sub-areas are provided in the Volunteer Engagement/Human Resources course in the North American Division Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program.

See www.communityservices.org for more details.

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