Volunteer recruitment: A complete guide

From the past to the present, there are numerous unresolved issues worldwide. Unfortunately, states fail to address or provide sufficient solutions to these problems. This is where non-profit organizations come into play. Non-profit organizations, operating regionally or internationally, focus on a wide range of areas, including health, education, environment, and social support etc. 

Do you know how to recruit volunteers for your nonprofits? If not, after reading this post, you will have learned creative ways to recruit volunteers, the benefits of using a form for recruitment, how to create a volunteer recruitment form, and more about volunteer recruitment. Start reading now and increase the engagement for volunteer recruitment by finding the target audience!

What is a volunteer recruitment?

Volunteer recruitment involves non-profit organizations enlisting volunteers to participate in diverse projects and tasks.

These organizations focused on areas such as social support, environmental conservation, education, and healthcare depend on volunteers due to their non-profit status and fluctuating income. Regular recruitment efforts are essential to maintain a pool of volunteers for ongoing and upcoming initiatives.

Benefits of using a volunteer recruitment form

Now you know what volunteer recruitment is. So, what are the benefits of volunteer recruitment for your organization? You will learn about them under this heading.

Advantages of using volunteer recruitment form

Top 20 questions to ask in a volunteer recruitment form

Asking the right questions is crucial for proper volunteer recruitment. Knowing candidates' information, skills, etc., will facilitate your hiring process. Additionally, with the acquired information, you can directly match the individuals you hire to specific tasks. Here are some fundamental questions for you:

1. Have you had any volunteering experience before? If yes, please provide details.

2. How much do you know about our organization and our work?

3. What specific skills or talents do you possess that could benefit our organization?

4. Are there specific areas within our organization that interest you the most?

5. Are there specific tasks or activities you would prefer to be involved in?

6. Are you looking for short-term or long-term volunteer opportunities?

7. How many hours per week can you commit to volunteering?

8. Can you provide the names and contact information of two references who can speak to your character and work ethic?

9. What is your educational background?

10. Do you have any relevant training or certifications?

11. Do you have any special needs or considerations we should know to ensure a comfortable volunteering experience?

12. Name and contact information of an emergency contact person.

13. Are you active on social media? If yes, which platforms?

14. What languages are you proficient in?

15. Do you have reliable transportation to and from the volunteer site?

16. What are your expectations for volunteering with our organization?

17. How do you prefer to be contacted?

18. Are you available for any training sessions or orientations before starting your volunteer work?

19. Have you read and do you agree to abide by our organization's volunteer policies and code of conduct?

20. Is there anything else you would like us to know or any specific questions you have?

How to create a volunteer recruitment form

You learned profitable information about the volunteer recruitment forms, like the benefits of using them or lots of questions that you ask in a form. But do you know the first step of a volunteer recruitment process how to create a volunteer application form? In this part, you will learn the best way to create a volunteer recruitment form.

1. Choose a free template, start with a blank form, or create with AI

Choosing a beginning option

You can create your online volunteer form from scratch on forms.app. Yet, the forms.app has a lot of free, ready-to-use forms, including a volunteer recruitment form to save time. Additionally, you can utilize the forms.app AI feature to generate your forms effortlessly by providing a single prompt.

2. Edit the questions or add your own

Adding questions and fields to your volunteer recruitment form

You should determine the specific skills, time commitments, and roles needed for volunteers within your organization. So, craft questions directly related to the volunteer roles, skills, and interests needed, like driver skills, foreign language knowledge, etc. Plus, you can use or edit the questions on the volunteer form template.

Also, do not forget to ask for the candidate’s contact information.

3. Customize the looks of your volunteer application form

Customizing the design of your recruitment form

How you form look is crucial. Users may lose interest if the form is text-heavy or monotonous with just questions. It's better to incorporate images or modify the design to make the form more engaging, preventing candidates from abandoning it halfway.

forms.app offers various manual customization options and pre-made themes, enabling you to adjust your form's visual style and design to suit your preferences. Additionally, you can improve the form's attractiveness by including images.

4. Share your form online to gather applications

Choosing a sharing option for your volunteer recruitment form

Now, you are ready to share your volunteer application form on your website. After that, if you share the form’s link on your organization’s social media accounts, you can reach more people and get more volunteer applications.

7 tips for a better volunteer recruitment form

So far, you learned questions to ask in a volunteer recruitment form and create a new one. Yet, if you want to create a more efficient and applicant-friendly volunteer application form that attracts and retains the right volunteers. If you wonder 7 key points on how to recruit volunteers for an event, you should have a look at these volunteer recruitment strategies below:

Tips for a better volunteer recruitment

Frequently asked questions about volunteer recruitment

So far, you learned what volunteer recruitment is, what are the benefits of using volunteer recruitment forms, how to create a recruitment form, and what you can ask about it. You might still harbor some reservations even after obtaining responses to these inquiries. We've made an effort to alleviate a few of these concerns on your behalf.

Final words

In a world grappling with issues like violence against women, animal slaughter, and life-threatening diseases, non-profit organizations dedicate themselves to addressing these problems without seeking any monetary compensation. While these organizations heavily depend on volunteers to carry out their initiatives, recruiting highly qualified individuals can sometimes pose a challenge.

In this article, you learned what volunteer recruitment is, how to create a recruitment form, what you should ask on this form, and more. Every step of finding volunteer process forms.app always with you. Let’s find some volunteers for your organization!