From 20/80 to 100/100
Your Guide to Resourcing Volunteers

BY KEN GODEVENOS, MBA, CCP, CHRP

One of the most interesting challenges in the local church is turning the 80/20 rule (20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work) into what I call the 100/100 volunteer strategy. Although not many churches have achieved this goal, we all can and should be working toward it. After all, Christ clearly intended the Church--and by extension, our local churches--to work as a body, with everyone performing the role to which he or she is best suited.

Portrait of a volunteer

Webster's Dictionary defines a volunteer as "a person who undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service." The key to this definition is not who volunteers but how. To do something voluntarily requires one's own volition. One person might sense the need directly and have a burning desire, generated by God, to do something. Another person might hear the need and feel impassioned to do something about it at the suggestion of God's agents. It is important that pastoral staff be able to identify both sensed and heard needs and facilitate the volunteering process accordingly. They must be prepared to let valid, sensed needs help shape some of the focus of the church with respect to volunteer activities.

Also remember that true volunteers are unconstrained by interference. Agreeing to do something voluntarily means a person needs no coersion or force. I've learned from experience never to command someone to take on a role they don't want simply to fill a vacancy.

Where to find the best volunteers

Most churches primarily seek volunteers within their church. While volunteering is a ministry in itself, taking on volunteers can also be a means of outreach. Review the various ministries of your church, especially those in the areas of social responsibility, and see which ones might be attractive to people who normally do not attend your church or have not yet made a commitment to Christ. You'll be surprised. In our church alone, it immediately brings to mind three ministries: one connects people in need of various services with those who can provide them, another serves breakfast and other meals in our city's missions, and another stuffs shoe boxes at Christmastime for underprivileged children in other countries. I'm not suggesting these activities be spearheaded by non-Christians. I do, however, believe that many unchurched people could be introduced to Christ through someone who seeks their help for a cause about which they are passionate.

Starter tips for volunteer recruiters

Before starting a project, decide which types of people you wish to attract (e.g., young or old, male or female, Christian or not, skilled or inexperienced and so on). Specificity helps you find the most appropriate people for the task at hand.

Next, answer some other basic questions: What are these volunteers really needed for? Define their roles. Will this endeavor require one set meeting time or will ongoing commitments be necessary? (Often when we look for Sunday school teachers, for instance, it is difficult to find them because we view the role as a "ministry without end.") What is the minimum reasonable time commitment you would demand of volunteers per week or month? Can people work alone or must they work with others at predetermined times? Are any legal implications involved? Working with children, for example, requires appropriate security clearance.

Build a volunteer "storehouse"

Most project leaders are eager for their senior pastors to make announcements (even pleas) for volunteers during services. But unless it is a "winner" of an opportunity ("We need a volunteer to pick Dr. Billy Graham up at the airport next week!"), you risk disappointment. The church ends up looking like its people aren't involved, and project leaders become discouraged. Not to mention the fact that once you start taking this approach, an endless list of future pleas will follow.

The key is to give people opportunities to serve when and where they really want to. Experienced leaders know that the most successful way to find volunteers is through personal knowledge and contact. Really understand the roles you want performed, then identify the people who fit them best from your own contacts.

"Gifts and Skills" surveys, conducted and maintained by the church office, are another excellent way to match the right volunteers with the right ministries. Ask all new members and long-time adherents to complete one of these surveys. To kick things off, ask the entire church to complete one and update it periodically. Have all of this information transferred to a simple database that is searchable by skill, gift or experience. It takes some work to orchestrate this project, but much of the required expertise comes from your own members.

I also recommend appointing a volunteer coordinator with a genuine desire to see that people are used appropriately in the work of Christ and the Church. This coordinator's duties should include:

• Managing the gifts and skills database;
• Answering inquiries from potential volunteers;
• Suggesting potential matches to project leaders;
• Providing statistics on how well the church is doing in its pursuit of the 100/100 volunteer objective;
• Relaying all assignments a volunteer is involved in at any given time; and
• Identifying members who are simply warming the pews.

The people in this last group need to be personally challenged. Find out what they are passionate about and get them involved. Many of them are just waiting to be asked.

More keys to recruiting

A host of other tried-and-true tips are available, including:

• Remember that people follow charismatic leaders. Make sure that the project recruiter--and ideally, the project leader him/herself--is sincerely passionate about the project.
• Take time screening potential volunteers before approaching them. Have some idea of people's skills, suitability and availability. Make sure the volunteer and the person under whom they'll be working have chemistry.
• Don't forget orientation and periodic training. Regular conversations "just to touch base" are critical. Too often, volunteers fail because they're thrown into the ocean to sink or swim but never given a life jacket.
• You can't recognize your volunteers enough. Society doesn't value volunteers as much as it should--that's your job. See to it that recognition is regular, meaningful and done both publicly and privately.

Social demographics show that the volunteer pool is becoming smaller, but it is also growing more diverse, making it more difficult to find volunteers than in the past. Greater mobility (job changes and frequent relocation) makes long-term volunteers less viable, and since more women are in the workforce today, they have less time to spare. Younger people are bombarded with demands that don't usually include volunteering, and seniors are often either too busy caring for even older people or traveling and spending their pensions. Every church leader faces these realities, but with the right approach, volunteer recruitment can pay incredible dividends.

Ken Godevenos is a seasoned HR practitioner and has served on and/or chaired several church boards. He is a human resources and church consultant, trained mediator, National Church Development coach, member of the National Advisory Council of The Leadership Center--Willow Creek Association Canada, and interim executive director of Shantymen International. Call Godevenos at (416) 449-7282 or visit www.accordconsulting.com to learn more.

 QUESTION OF THE MONTH

Dear Ken,
What size staff is required before a church hires a human resources person, and what would such an individual do?

Dear Reader,
Staff size is only one criterion to determine the need for an HR person. Obviously, the larger the staff, the greater the need for recruitment, orientation, performance management, employee relations, training and career development. More importantly, these activities should be implemented consistently across the staff body, subject to level and position. Where a need for such coordination exists, an HR position is in order.

In addition, many local and/or federal jurisdictions require compliance with numerous labor-related pieces of legislation, and an HR person is trained to help in this regard. Whereas having such a person on staff does not always eliminate the need for legal advice, a knowledgeable HR person can help reduce legal costs and keep a church out of trouble from human rights or labor perspectives.

Besides staff size, two other criteria come into play when deciding whether or not to hire an HR person, even if he or she will only serve part-time. First, if multiple supervisors are on staff, an HR person helps ensure consistent treatment. Second, when a church's organizational structure below the senior pastor has more than two tiers (with supervisors reporting to other supervisors and so on), an HR practitioner is a good idea. Generally, leaders of churches with 15 or more employees should consider enlisting some type of HR assistance, and for 50-person and larger staffs, such a position needs to be full-time. (When determining staff size, do not forget to include any senior-level volunteers who play significant roles in the church, even though they are not technically employees.)

For churches with smaller staffs, numerous organizations use seasoned HR individuals on an outsourcing basis. These professionals oversee all HR activities for a church during a set number of days per week, and they may do so for several churches independently.

Should you decide to hire an HR person, he or she can help with payroll, administration, vacation and sick-leave tracking, career counseling and more. Another significant, related role is in the design and development of personnel policies--something many churches need but do not yet have in place. Again, HR services could be a portion of an individual's job if not his or her whole position.

E-mail your questions to Ken Godevenos at kgod@accordconsulting.com. All requests for confidentiality will be honored.