How to recruit volunteers with digital skills

How to recruit for digital skills

Recruiting for digital skills is similar to recruiting for paid roles – getting the word out is essential. For charities looking for specialist digital skills, volunteer and recruitment platforms are helpful in identifying potential candidates. Across the charity sector for both digital volunteers and paid roles, platforms with high-traffic include:

• Do-it.org is a volunteering matching website, where charities can post for specific voluntary roles. Many charities make use of the site for ‘do-it-at-home’ or virtual postings. Access to tech, including a home computer, or previous experience in digital can be added into the advert, ensuring that suitable volunteers apply for relevant roles.
• Charity Job hosts advertisements for both volunteers and paid roles. Again, key search terms can be attached to adverts so the right people can search and apply for volunteer and paid jobs.
• Reach Volunteering is another matching website, where charities and non-profit organisations can advertise specific volunteering needs. For volunteers, the search function narrows opportunities by digital or online working environments.

Social media can drive digital volunteerism by catering to more tech-savvy audiences. Remember that posting content on social media before and after volunteer drives or events is important – make it easy to volunteer – offer audiences direct links to volunteering application forms.  Out of the roster of volunteers, charities may want to identify digital volunteers who go on to promote the roles themselves. Digital ambassadors can help charities spread the word on social media.

Dedicated charity programmes can filter for digital-only volunteers

Specialist programmes for digital volunteers are helpful in attracting potential candidates who already have access to tech.

Granny Cloud offers digital mentoring to underprivileged children in India. Many of the children are from remote areas, with limited access to education. Lacking basic English skills, Granny Cloud offers native English speakers a chance to help children learn the language – all through Skype. The non-profit is clearly digital. The application process is online and requires prospective volunteers to submit a 5-minute video. The next step is a Skype interview, and if approved, access is granted to a secret Facebook group. Orientation is then done through Skype, Facebook, WhatsApp and email. For Granny Cloud, the approach works because the tech involved with the screening and mentoring programme are the same, ensuring that on day one of mentorship, tools are already available.

Tool for managing volunteers and programmes digitally

Once recruited, there are many tech options to help charity digital leaders manage volunteer teams, events, and programmes.

Digital communication tools come in handy, as many volunteers may be working from home or on the move. Low-cost software for videoconferencing meetings includes:

• Zoom
• Microsoft Teams
• Skype
• ClickMeeting
• GoToMeeting

Software with management features for volunteer workforces can help charity digital leaders deliver impact. From simple sign-up sheets to sophisticated management information reports, tailored software can be found:

• signup.com – Digital sign-up sheets can be produced on the website at no cost. A scheduling function for events is also available. Ahead of the event, the platform sends automated emails to increase participation.
• Groop – More sophisticated than Signup.com, Groop’s platform targets non-profits and charities and ‘groups’ people for operational or volunteer purposes. The platform also has chat and video functionality enabled, for streamlined communication. For more formal volunteer programmes, Groop’s data is GDPR-compliant and includes a workstream for Disclosure and Barring Service checks which are important for sensitive community support roles.