Selecting, motivating and retaining good volunteers for your events can be a tough but rewarding battle. mice.net asks four of the business event industry’s leading lights to share their top five tips on managing and monitoring volunteers to get the best out of them.
 1. Recognise existing skills – Most volunteers are highly skilled individuals looking to utilise both their life and professional skills. Their motivation and retention will remain high if you make them feel valued through the allocation of suitable work.
2. Inclusiveness is the key – Ensure that volunteers are treated as part of the team. Adequate and timely rostering, staff uniforms, lunch facilities, safety equipment, and buddy systems ensure that no volunteer ever feels like a second-class citizen.
3. Provide opportunities – Providing volunteers with extensive training and briefings ensures each individual is confident in their ability to deliver their role. Confidence is critical for success. New skill development is also an important opportunity many volunteers look for.
4. Provide a social environment – Many volunteers see their work as a social opportunity to widen their networks and make new friends. Making their environment fun and social will leave them waiting for their next shift.
5. Maintain an excellent reputation – Without a good reputation within the industry, organisations will find it difficult to attract volunteers.
 1. Develop a clear brief – Before you start recruiting, outline the roles of each volunteer, provide background information on the organisation and event, and remind them that any company information they may be privy to should be kept confidential.
2. Boost communication – Assign the volunteers one point of contact so they know who to call. Make sure you have their contact details. Keep them updated on event information and invite them to the post-event debrief. Their feedback is important.
3. Align your interests – Make sure volunteers have a genuine interest in the work. Find out what they are good at. Their enthusiasm will show and they can develop lifelong skills.
4. Make them feel part of the team – Introduce the volunteers to staff, show them around, cover meal allowances if the budget stretches and make them feel worth their weight in gold.
5. Help with potential career paths – If work experience is their reason for volunteering, allow them to get some industry insight so they benefit too. Supply a certificate of participation or letter to say thanks. Keep their contact details for future recruitment drives. If they are really keen, they’ll keep in touch with you too.
 1. Aim to keep volunteers – Volunteers are a specialised army of individuals who have given of their time freely to assist in the running of a major event. They might have self-interest in the event, however one should never lose sight of the fact you need to continually acknowledge this group of individuals openly and showcase the importance of the effort they bring to an event.
2. Show that you’re passionate – Ensure firstly that you understand what the role is you require the volunteers to complete. Be role specific and make sure you engage each individual according to their skill sets.
3. Continually acknowledge individuals – Reflect the value of the work through the dollars saved to the organisation and the dollars earned through their commitment to the cause or event.
4. Say thank you – Initiate invitations to other events as a thank you for their commitment. This can be achieved through the special events process on a contra basis to events where the volunteers can be pampered.
5. Add value – Create a distribution environment within Volunteers Victoria and other associations, and deliver an education process where you are continually building resources and an army of volunteers.
 1. Treat volunteers like paid staff – Give your volunteers the same respect you would extend to your paid employees and your clients. Ensure you devote time to training and encouraging volunteers, and make them feel a part of the team and your event.
2. Keep volunteers informed – If you give volunteers detailed information about the event, they are more likely to perform well as they are aware of what is going on and what is expected of them. A volunteer briefing session is an effective way to do this.
3. Let volunteers own their duties – Make volunteers responsible for the duties they are performing. This way they feel a part of the event and know they are accountable for what they are supposed to be doing, thus increasing the likelihood of great performance.
4. Give encouragement and recognition – Volunteers appreciate knowing how they are performing, and feel more motivated when they are praised on their efforts and results. Plan a public thank you where you give volunteers certificates for their contribution.
5. Give them something they want – As volunteers work without monetary reward, you need to ensure that you are giving them intrinsic and extrinsic rewards that are valuable to them. If not, they will not be motivated to return the next time you need assistance.
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