Why proper onboarding is essential

The onboarding process you choose, and the experience volunteers have as part of this process is an important part of their volunteer journey with your organisation.

Onboarding is often the first formal experience a volunteer will have with your organisation, and can set the tone for how volunteering is embedded in your governance, culture and leadership.

It’s an opportunity to demonstrate how volunteer participation is championed and modelled, and how your new recruits will contribute to shared purpose, goals and mission.

A clear, supportive, and transparent process can:

• promote your organisation’s mission and values, and how volunteers will directly contribute.
• outline volunteer rights and responsibilities, and defines the expectations of the volunteer relationship on both sides.
• provide information on relevant policies and procedures and the documents needed to perform a role.
• be a crucial part of risk management.
• helps avoid potential performance issues and sources of conflict.
• give volunteers the opportunity to ask any questions they have about their role.
• help you meet your legal and ethical obligations to provide safe and supportive workplaces.
• make volunteers feel welcomed, supported and contributes to high retention rates.
• provide consistency for all new volunteers.
• allow you to identify key topics that need to be covered and any training that will be required.

What you’ll cover in your onboarding and inductions may vary dependent on the duties and duration of the volunteering role, the level of formal clearances and training that are required, and how many people are being onboarded at the same time.

Generally, your onboarding processes should cover:

• Information about the cause, mission and impact of your organisation.
• How volunteering contributes and connects to different services across your organisation.
• The expectations and duties for volunteers, staff, and managers.
• A clear position description, that includes rights, responsibilities, expectations, duration and frequency of hours.
• Introductions to other volunteers and staff, and the person(s) who will be their main supervisor, support or mentor.
• Overview of relevant organisation policies and procedures and how they relate to their role, such as HR Manuals, reimbursements, social media policy, privacy and cyber policies, incident reports.  This should include where they can access these policies, procedures and health and safety information and any relevant forms.
• Where and how to raise queries, and concerns.
• Tours of facilities and equipment.
• Training, checks and clearances required.
• Regulatory or legislative requirements related to their role.
• Identification of any individual supports or requirements.
• Volunteer paperwork such as volunteer agreement and code of conduct.
• Copy of or link to important volunteer information such as your HR handbook, volunteer handbook or onboarding package.