Helping online volunteers to perform at their best

 
You have clearly formulated the assignment and carefully selected the candidates. Now you are about to embark on the most challenging part: the online collaboration with your volunteers. It is important to…

Communicate clearly and effectively

The ground rule for effective online communication is sending messages that are concise and to the point. Online communication carries the risk of misinterpreting what the other person may have written down. It is also important to be aware of cultural differences and language constraints. Personalizing your messages, expressing interest in your online volunteers and sharing information about yourself will help you overcome the anonymity of the Internet.

Provide orientation and set a schedule

Provide the volunteers with an overview of your organization, information on the project, as well as precise instructions on how to undertake the tasks that are set. Be explicit about your expectations and needs, and set clear goals and deadlines.

Provide guidance

Contact your volunteers on a regular basis and provide feedback on their performance. Depending on the assignment, you may wish to break down the task and, together with the volunteer, define the objectives you hope to achieve. It may be useful to ask the volunteer to write a short account of what he/she is doing each week to meet the objectives. If you are not satisfied with the results or process of the collaboration, it is important to communicate this to the volunteer. For example, if the volunteer does not meet a deadline, explain why the tasks are important to your organization and explain the consequences that late or incomplete contributions will have on the project.

Encourage teamwork

Sometimes it is more effective to have a team of volunteers working together on an assignment. Combining the knowledge and skills of various volunteers and encouraging them to exchange their views will yield better results. At the same time, it is a much more rewarding experience for the online volunteers involved.

Give feedback

Once a volunteer has completed an assignment, you must fill out the feedback form in order to issue the certificate of appreciation. Your comments will help UNV make online volunteering a more positive and gratifying experience and improve the Online Volunteering service. You have the option of either sharing your feedback with the volunteer, or of keeping it confidential. Sharing your comments on the online collaboration is very valuable to volunteers. It allows them to evaluate their own performance and make any necessary changes for the future.