Understanding employment and recruitment

Human resources in voluntary organisations are largely made up of paid employees (including the managing director), volunteers and trustees. Each of these roles are distinct legal categories and should have separate yet clearly defined recruitment and employment procedures. Here’s a breakdown of what these roles are and how to recruit for them.

Recruiting for the role of trustee

The role of the trustee is similar to that of senior advisor. Trustees provide strategic direction and navigate the organisation through obstacles and towards its goals. The board of trustees should ensure the organisation’s activities stay in line with its mission.

Trustees are recruited for the specialised expertise they can contribute to the organisation. The broader the range of expertise on your board, the more your organisation can achieve. You should recruit a new trustee when you need to fill a knowledge gap in your organisation, which might be digital development, business development, fundraising or financial expertise, for example.

Trustees aren’t paid, but work in a voluntary capacity. The role is prestigious and comes with a high level of responsibility. Trustees are assigned decision-making powers that impact the direction and future of the organisation.

Recruiting new trustees should be carefully planned. Here are some key considerations to make in the recruitment process:

Expertise: What skills gap do you need to fill?

Timeframe: When should you advertise a vacancy and should there be a deadline for applications?

People: Who should be involved in the recruitment and selection process?

Budget: How much will the recruitment process cost the organisation?

Read more about how to prepare for trustee recruitment at Reach Volunteer.

NCVO provides a structured course on how to recruit and induct trustees.

Recruiting volunteers

There are a number of ways you can recruit volunteers. Word of mouth, or referrals, are a great way to recruit because they come with a personal endorsement of the candidate. Getting a stall at a volunteer fair will give you an opportunity to promote your organisation and meet candidates keen to offer voluntary services.

‘When it comes to the recruitment process, remember that people are offering a gift of time, not seeking paid employment. Keep the process clear, application forms simple and the interview informal.’

You can advertise for volunteers online, on social media and on your organisation’s website. Charity websites often have a ‘get involved’ button to alert visitors to volunteering opportunities, for example.

The Volunteer Centre Camden provides a recruitment service for Camden voluntary organisations. Read more on getting support for your volunteer recruitment needs.

Since your organisation will largely be supported by voluntary help, you’ll want to recruit people who are reliable and proactive. A volunteer should be a good fit for your organisation and its mission. You can find out if they are suitably matched by asking them why they want to volunteer for your organisation and what they want to achieve. The role should be mutually beneficial to the volunteer and organisation.

Read best practice in recruiting volunteers.

Recruiting paid employees

There are two approaches you can take to recruiting for a new role in your organisation: internally and externally. You might want to offer a position to someone already working with your organisation. This might be to offer a paid role to a volunteer, or promote an employee.

If the position for a senior role requires a very specific skill set, then advertising on job boards, collecting CVs and taking candidates through an interviewing process will enable you to find the person best suited to the role.

As a general rule, the number of internal recruits should be balanced with external recruits.

Ultimately, your organisation’s employment and HR policies should set out the rules for recruiting. Here is a set of questions to help you think about what the recruitment process should look like in your organisation:

Identifying a need and vacancy

• What skills and capabilities are you lacking on your team?
• Is there more than one vacancy to fill?
• Do you need someone part-time, full-time, or on a temporary basis
• What are the role requirements?
• What tasks and responsibilities are required?
• How should the various tasks be performed?
• What skills and knowledge are required, and at what level?
• What type of experience is needed, or is this an entry level role?

The job description

You can make the job description as detailed as you need, but it should cover these basics:

• The role title e.g., Finance Officer or Project Manager
• An overview of the organisation: why is your organisation a great place to work in and what can a successful applicant expect from this role?
• Job location, i.e., is the work remote or office based? Is a full driving licence essential?
• Responsibilities and duties
• Essential qualifications and skills
• Salary (and benefits if applicable)

The person specification

This is a detailed profile description of the ideal candidate. It should include the person’s intangible skills such as communication, personality attributes and temperament required for the role.

• Non-essential but desired qualifications and training, such as health and safety
• Previous experience in a similar organisation
• Personality attributes and character traits, e.g., the ability to remain calm under pressure, or diplomacy skills.
• Volunteering experience