Volunteer Experiences 2019: At a Glance Summary



Volunteer Experiences 2019: At a Glance SummaryContents TOC \o "1-2" \h \z \u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc43112048 \h 1Volunteer experience headlines PAGEREF _Toc43112049 \h 1Recruitment PAGEREF _Toc43112050 \h 2Welcome and induction PAGEREF _Toc43112051 \h 2Communication PAGEREF _Toc43112052 \h 3Support PAGEREF _Toc43112053 \h 4Valuing volunteers PAGEREF _Toc43112054 \h 4IntroductionTo understand more about what it’s like to volunteer with RNIB, we asked volunteers to complete a survey about their experiences. 16% of our 2492 volunteers completed the survey. Additionally, we looked at data from 84 Exit Interviews completed between April and September 2019. Exit Interviews are completed over the phone or by online survey with volunteers who have recently left their role. Members of the Volunteer Council, a group of up to 8 volunteers with various roles in a number of locations, also took part in a focus group to provide a more detailed insight into volunteer opinions. This document summarises key feedback from volunteers.Volunteer experience headlines89% of respondents would recommend volunteering with RNIB. (The recent NCVO survey of 10,000 volunteers found that almost seven in ten (69%) have already or would recommend their volunteering.)77% of respondents ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that RNIB is a great place to volunteer. This is equivalent to an ‘excellent’ Net Promoter Score, improving on last year’s ‘good’ score.81% of respondents ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that they are making a difference through volunteering. This is equivalent to an ‘excellent’ Net Promoter Score, which remains the same as 2018.77% of respondents ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that they feel supported in their role. This is equivalent to a ‘good’ Net Promoter Score, showing an improvement on last year’s ‘positive’ score. Recruitment(a) Finding opportunities?Only 45% of volunteers found volunteering opportunities on the RNIB website or other advertised sites. Although most online applicants found the process easy, 18% stated that it is was not easy to find opportunities in their local area. Volunteers stated that opportunities were not advertised widely. Only 77 volunteers confirmed if they had or had not spoken to a Recruitment Officer. 28% of these respondents (22 volunteers) did speak to a recruitment officer over the phone. Of these volunteers, 88% agreed that they were explained the recruitment process and were informed about the roles and requirements.(b) Communication during recruitment?is inconsistent?Applicants?expressed inconsistent experiences of communication during recruitment, with some very positive opinions and some?experiencing delays and commenting that there was no clarity of role description. Some volunteers felt that either there was too much communication from RNIB while others stated that they “had to chase”. ?(c) Applicants are recruited but not?‘assigned’ a role?Though all respondents to the survey are considered active volunteers, a significant number report confusion over when they will be ‘assigned’ a role, expressing that they don’t ‘have’ a role or are unsure when they will start. They are keen to be involved, with lack of involvement often extending over months or even years, leaving them feeling unvalued.?Welcome and induction(a) Key information from Welcome Packs isn’t reaching volunteers?Only 44% of the volunteers were introduced to their teams and said they were given a volunteer handbook and 49% said they had been provided with information on how to claim expenses.(b) Induction experiences are inconsistent across the organisation?74% of volunteers recruited within 2 years or less said that they had an official induction to RNIB and their role. Of these, 86% understood their roles and were introduced to their volunteer manager. (c) Inductions?don’t always support eventual rolesVolunteers felt that inductions did not provide useful role-related information, as at present inductions were too general. There was generally a call for further training to be provided regarding sight loss and accessible technology. One volunteer said, “The tasks I have subsequently been asked to undertake were not known at induction stage.”?Communication(a) Good communication?with?volunteer managers?is vital?Only 53% of volunteers said they were regularly in touch with their volunteer managers and of these only 73% were satisfied with the level and methods of communication used at present. Interestingly, some volunteers pointed out that they don’t want or need communication to be regular, they just want to be able to communicate when they need to.(b) Communication channels are not always known Mostly volunteers who are managed remotely or those who do not know who their volunteer manager seem to have more negative experiences of communication with RNIB. Volunteers shared what they consider to be poor communication, which is that it’s: non-existent, infrequent, unresponsive, gives a clear impression that the manager is over worked, unavailable, or generic. Many of our volunteers are currently not aware of Workplace or the Volunteer Hub as ways to communicate with teams and volunteers.?(c) Change is not communicated well to volunteers?Changes to RNIB, of staff, processes and how they practically affect a volunteer, are not communicated clearly or in a timely manner to volunteers,?leaving them feeling unsettled,?unsure and undervalued. Volunteers report a desire for inclusion in discussions about change, greater transparency and clear guidance through the period of change. ??Support(a) There is a lack?of?sense of?community and connection?One of the most frequently cited concerns for volunteers is a sense of isolation and disconnection. Volunteers identify that having a greater connection with peers would enable them to feel more supported, motivated, involved and valued and are seeking connection with other volunteers and with ‘the organisation.’ While there are some opportunities for volunteers at RNIB to meet and share their experiences, these opportunities are not consistently available, and particularly not for those who volunteer remotely. ?(b) Inclusion and recognitionVolunteers who have regular human contact and meet up with their managers and other volunteers have reported better experiences. Volunteers also highlighted that feedback on the impact of their contribution would be a highly valued form of ‘recognition.’ A volunteer said, “Steps by the organisation, even a letter to say "well done, you have achieved ?xx this year would have been great. A printed letter from the CM or the MD.”??Valuing volunteers(a) Verbal thanks from volunteer managers?is valued?Verbal thanks from?volunteer managers is?one of the most valued forms of?recognition.?Volunteers feel that they received ‘thanks’ from their managers but not from RNIB. “I feel very valued by my team but not by the organisation as a whole”.(b) Feedback is important to volunteers in order to feel valuedVolunteers would like to hear feedback about how they’re getting on, and the impact their volunteering is having. Comments included: “No one has ever fed back anything regarding how well I'm doing the job” and “More feedback on how I am performing would be helpful. I work on the assumption that if no one tells me otherwise, I must be doing things right.”[Document ends]? ................
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