The following are a list of useful checks to ensure that your volunteer has a welcoming, informative and rewarding first day at your organisation. Remember that orientation is an important first step to making a volunteer feel welcome in a new environment.
Give a tour of the workplace including all the areas that are available to the volunteer such as the kitchen facilities, bathroom, offices, etc...
Introduce Volunteer to staff members and other volunteers working within the organisation. If your organisation is large with a big staff compliment, it might be useful to use an organisational chart with details of staff and their interrelationships with other staff/organisations
Give a brief history of your organisation and its mission plus an overview of the services you provide.
Explain funding sources where necessary
Go over roles of other volunteers within the service
Describe the clients that are served by your organisation.
Explain the meaning of confidentiality and stress its importance
Show the volunteer their designated place of work
Show the volunteer where they store items that are required for their work
Give details of the procedures for reimbursement of expenses and other required reports or forms if this is necessary
Show procedure for using phone, fax and internet if necessary
Demonstrate any other equipment that the volunteer is likely to use eg. computers, photocopier etc..
Give emergency phone no.s and obtain contacts for volunteer in case of emergency
Clarify who to call or what to do if the volunteer cannot come in on a scheduled day.
Review the volunteers role description again.
Discuss the background on the specific project that the volunteer is working on if necessary
Explain the procedure for requesting supplies and clerical support.
Give a glossary of terms and abbreviations commonly used in the agency.
Share staff schedules and when and how people can be reached if the volunteer needs contact a staff member
Encourage volunteer to give feedback and explain how and when to voice areas of concern or make suggestions effectively
Smile
Show enthusiasm
Help volunteers to meet and get to know one another
Thank volunteers for their commitment to your organisation
Taken from Energize Inc
Used with permission
Above all
Taken from Energize Inc
Used with permission
