As a business leader, having people willing to volunteer their time and effort for your brand is worth its weight in gold. Volunteers don’t just show up for no reason. They likely believe in your business and what you stand for, and want to do their part to ensure you succeed.
But, no matter what tasks your volunteers take charge of, the last thing you want is any discord or miscommunication between those working for free and your employees on the clock. Volunteers are there for a reason, but employees are there to bring home a paycheck. They need to be able to work together toward a common cause.
Implementing strategies for seamless volunteer integration in the workforce will ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes to reaching milestones and specific goals. Fostering a unified and productive business environment will keep everyone happy and will help your business grow.
Utilize Collaborative Tools
Technology has made it easier than ever for employees and volunteers alike to stay in constant communication. Collaboration between those two teams will make a huge difference in productivity, morale, and achieving business goals. Digital collaboration tools have seen a rise in popularity over the last few years, largely due to more people working remotely.
But, whether your team is working from home or everyone is under one roof, you can utilize collaborative communication tools to make sure everyone’s work is visible. Not only do these tools help to improve internal communication, but they make sure everyone understands their roles, specific projects, and what needs to be done. Your paid employees can serve as mentors for volunteers and your volunteers will be able to dive into projects head-first when they know they’ll be able to work with someone on the payroll. Nowadays, there are countless collaboration tools to choose from, but some of the most effective include:
- Asana for project management
- Slack or Microsoft Teams for communication
- Lucidspark for creativity
Consider the specific needs of your business and the people who work for you, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different collaboration tools to find what works best for your brand.
Be an Effective Manager
If you’re going to have a team made of volunteers and employees, you have to be a strong, effective, and fair leader. It’s up to you to build up your team by guiding them every step of the way. Make sure everyone is starting with a shared vision. It’s up to you to let them know what that vision is and how they can work together to make it a reality.
Foster communication, both in-person and through digital tools, making sure that smaller groups and teams are made of both volunteers and employees.
Most importantly, choose to be a manager who leads with emotional intelligence. When you have volunteers working for you, they’re likely passionate about what they’re doing. Emotions can run high in businesses that use volunteers, so make sure you’re empathetic to everyone’s needs. That means more than just calming crises when they occur. It means fostering an environment where everyone feels understood and valued. One of the best things you can do in a leadership position is to make yourself available.
Create a Cohesive Team
Integrating volunteers into an existing team isn’t always easy. Even if they’re initially excited to do their part, they can quickly become burned out or disheartened knowing someone else is getting paid for the kind of work they’re doing.
If you want to create a cohesive team and foster inspiration within your workplace environment, you have to both attract and retain volunteers who will be willing to get the job done and maintain a healthy, strong relationship with your brand. Some of the best ways to do that include:
- Building a positive public image
- Developing good job descriptions
- Improving your onboarding process
- Leveraging social media
There are many benefits to bringing volunteers on board. From a PR standpoint, it’s a good look for your business. It also builds a sense of community, engages your audience, and motivates others within your business to work hard and find success. If you want to attract and retain volunteers, make sure you recognize and reward them for their efforts. They might not be getting a paycheck, but they need to understand that they are an invaluable part of your work culture. Let them know they are making a difference with their efforts, and not just when it comes to increased sales.
The better your business culture when it comes to volunteer integration, the more attractive you’ll be to both potential employees and future volunteers, alike. If you’re working in a leadership role, take charge of collaboration, communication, and cohesiveness. Your focus should be on fostering an environment where everyone is working in harmony for a greater cause than themselves.