The main goal of recruiting staff should be to get the organisation to function effectively and to deliver the services. Recruiting volunteers is most effective when the people responsible understand why people volunteer and what they gain by volunteering.
Recruiting paid staff is often just a matter of advertising in a local or regional newspaper and letting existing
members and volunteers know about the vacancy.
You can download a full guide to recruiting staff at this website on YAPA's Youthwork factsheet page
http://www.youthaction.org.au/
The pay rate is decided by the 'award' for their position. When referring to pay rates, an 'award' is a document with the conditions and pay rate for an industry. The award for most welfare jobs is the Social and Youth Services Employees (State) Award. The award for administrative workers is usually the Clerical and Administrative Employees (State) Award.
You can find out what to pay the new worker at http://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/oirwww/Industries_and_Awards.page
Recruiting volunteers is a bit different from finding paid staff. After all, they're not getting paid. Instead it pays to think about what they are getting and how to make it as easy as possible to volunteer.
Studies show that volunteers are most often rewarded by personal satisfaction and social contact. They are also
motivated by the chance to help others in the community, to be with friends or to do something worthwhile. New
volunteers might quickly lose interest if these needs are not being met, so anyone who is working with the
volunteers needs to remember that they need to:
Recruiting volunteers is most effective if a specific person from within the organisation is made the Volunteer
Coordinator, who can take responsibility for the whole process. Any new volunteers can be sent to this person, who
knows the most about where the organisation needs the new recruit's help.
Position Description - Volunteer Coordinator (38 KB)
Before looking for volunteers, the Volunteer Coordinator should make sure they have all of the necessary forms, strategies and processes in place. Volunteers will often be put off if the job descriptions are not ready, if people are unclear about where they could use volunteers or if there are no processes for smooth entry into the position. It's worth taking a few minutes to prepare.
(Source: Recognising Volunteers - Active Australia Volunteer Management Program; Australian Sports Commission.)
For more detailed information about how to recruit volunteers, download this training manual from www.ausport.gov.au , the website of Ausport, the Australian Sports Commission.
You can also advertise for volunteers using online (ie internet) services that are specifically set up for finding volunteer positions and workers. Their terms and conditions vary, and they may be of more use to metropolitan organisations than rural, but their service is free to not for profit organisations. They are:
SEEK Volunteer.
http://www.volunteer.com.au/
Go Volunteer
http://www.govolunteer.com.au/
Your local volunteer centre may also be able to help. Look through this list to find your local volunteer centre.
http://www.volunteering.com.au/about-us/
Position Descriptions, also known as Job Descriptions, are formal records of what each worker in the organisation is
required to do. They are presented to people when they apply for the job, so they know what it involves.
We have attached several sample Position Descriptions, for the following positions:
Position Description - Activities Worker (42 KB)
Position Description - Administrative Worker (37 KB)
Position Description - Case - Client Worker (40 KB)
Position Description - Volunteer Coordinator (38 KB)
Each of these position descriptions need to be adjusted to suit your needs and the specific positions in your organisation. In particular, you should adapt them by:
For more information about writing and developing your own position descriptions,
Position Description - Volunteer Coordinator (38 KB)
The Youth Action and Policy Association's Model Policies include child protection policies (as well as other useful policies about inclusiveness and privacy) at www.youthaction.org.au/model_policies
NOTE : you should first check your own organisation's policies. If your organisation does not have these policies, they should be approved by the organisation's board / management committee before they are used. Creating these policies is one of the board's jobs and they should be adapted to the organisation's vision.
It is always a good idea to do a background check on someone you are thinking of employing in any position, either
paid or voluntary. This is simply a phone call to someone who would know them well, ideally in a work related role
or one similar to the position being applied for.
This form that suggests some questions you could ask when you are doing a background check.
Reference Check (31 KB)
There are more details about this in the Child Protection section.
This is the link to form that must be signed by all volunteer staff before they start child related employment
http://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/working-with-children/working-with-children-check
This is the link to form that must be signed by all paid staff before they start child related employment
http://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/working-with-children/working-with-children-check/paid-workers
You can find out more about the Working with Children Checks through the Office of the Children's Guardian at
http://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/
If you are going to pay someone to work in a child related position there are a number of steps that you must follow as the employer to arrange a Working with Children Background Check for your employee before they start paid work. These background checks are mandatory (that is, they have to be done, under law) for paid child related work. They check for:
If they find any relevant records they assess the risk and tell the employer. The employer still gets to decide if
they will employ that person.
You can find out more about the Working with Children Background Checks through the Kids NSW Website at
http://kids.nsw.gov.au