The art of Volunteer Recruitment - Building a resolute team for impactful change.
Article by Mamello Mpiti, Okuhle Sesethu Cetyiwe and Hlalani Mdunge.
THE ART OF VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT: BUILDING A
RESOLUTE TEAM FOR
IMPACTFUL CHANGE.
Recruitment is the lifeblood of organizations, so why not as UNICEF@UJ also recruit
volunteers? After the devastating impact that COVID-19 had on UNICEF@UJ, we are
pleased to be up and running on campus again. Having put strategies in place on how
to attract new volunteers, the team worked hard, and the challenges encountered did
not stop them from fulfilling the purpose of recruitment week.
EVENTS/STRATEGY
We hit the ground as UNICEF@UJ on the University of Johannesburg APK campus
on the 19th of February 2024. Utilizing the first response team, we dedicated three days
to recruitment: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This was recruitment week
recognized by the University of Johannesburg and we capitalized on that. We set up
a gazebo, our banner, and a table covered with a UNICEF tablecloth, and on top of
the table, we put some of the merchandise on display. We needed to be visible on
campus so that prospective volunteers would approach the table and ask more about
the club.
Monday was filled with nervous smiles and quivering voices from some volunteers but
as the day went by they were able to speak freely to people and represent UNICEF
UJ like it deserves. Since the UJ APK campus is huge and not everyone comes to the
side that we had set up on, we decided to do a little “community outreach” where the
team divided into groups and spread on the campus to cover more ground and in this
case, we were the ones approaching people. Wednesday, still, the team took it upon
themselves to conduct interviews around campus, asking students about their
knowledge on UNICEF. The responses were shocking but expected. We even
conducted interviews for our social media pages.
We had a code that prospective volunteers would scan, and it would take them to a
WhatsApp group, for those who were unable to scan, we took their numbers and
added them manually to the group on the day they signed up. These groups have
helped the team send out communication of the next steps that will be taken after
recruitment week.
CHALLENGES FACED
With great planning come challenges, whether they are internal or external. We came
across a lot of people and finding the right fit is not easy. As our focus is advocating
for children's rights, this means that we will be dealing with children daily. Now this will
require patience and tolerance, and from engaging with people on campus we could
tell that some of them do not have that in them. To back this statement, we saw people
exiting the WhatsApp groups in a space of hours. In such cases, it is hard to recruit
because one must remember that the image and impression that the stakeholders
have on our organization are important. Retaining volunteers is hard because you get
one chance to convince them about what you are selling, and when that opportunity
passes it is done.
Statistic-wise, we have small numbers of first years in the club, and we had hoped to
get more first years to ensure the continuity of the club in the next years.
SUCCESS
The highlight of all successes is the team working hard to ensure that the target that
the President had set was met. Daily the plan was to recruit 100 volunteers. By looking
at the numbers on the WhatsApp group, in just two days, Monday and Wednesday,
we had recruited 500+ volunteers. We understood that meeting that target does not
mean that we should not work as people may pull out.
We were able to collect enough signatures for our petition forms, which were required
to register our club with the University of Johannesburg so that UNICEF, UJ, and the
public recognize UNICEF@UJ as an active club.
THE TEAM
The “first response team,” is a name given by our President to the first group that was
inducted in early February. This team was the one responsible for recruiting new
members because now they knew more about UNICEF, and this was their first task in
2024 as official UNICEF volunteers. This group displayed great commitment to this
task. Their level of dedication to the organization’s mission and goals is visible through
the results they achieved during the recruitment week.
They took the task and made
use of their powerful skills, like effective communication, creative thinking, working
collaboratively, and more to explain boldly what UNICEF is and what it is about. This
was a learning moment for even the first response team as they engaged with a lot of
people. They were courageous enough not to give up even when some people would
show no interest. Most of the team willingly worked extra hours when there were gaps
in the rotation schedule.
CLOSING REMARKS
This marks a significant milestone for UNICEF@UJ in its efforts to attract new
volunteers. In closing, volunteer recruitment is a dynamic process that requires
purpose, creativity, and adaptability. By understanding volunteer motivations, crafting
compelling opportunities, leveraging social media, and cultivating positive
experiences, I am proud to say we have recruited!
From here on the work will be a lot and demanding, we hope to see the team approach
every situation, good or bad, with the same dedication and drive.
