Writing role descriptions is a key element of attracting the right volunteer. It can be a challenge. This guide will give some pointers and ideas to get started. Read this document first in this section.
Research
· Look at similar roles at other organisations. Be careful not want to copy their language, but it can be interesting to see what they focus on and the tone they use.
· If you have any volunteers within your organisation, you could ask them about their experiences volunteering and why they were interested in volunteering with your team.
· Have statistics to hand about your organisation and the difference it makes.
Motivations
What are people’s motivations for volunteering?
Do you think the best volunteers will be most motivated by your cause or the role?
· For some roles, volunteers are attracted mainly by the cause. For example, supporting someone impacted by homophobia, giving talks on the importance of recycling or volunteering at a food bank.
· For others, the role itself may be the main attraction. For example, shop assistant at a charity shop, writing copy for a website or a fun day of corporate volunteering.
· Most volunteers are motivated by both cause and role – but it is useful to reflect on what you should focus on when writing the role description.
Mind map all of the motivations potential volunteers may have regarding your role. You can use this as a guide for how you write your role description.
Writing the role description
· See the role description template for more information.
Avoid any suggestion of job substitution
As an organisation involving volunteers you will be aware that volunteers are giving their time, and should be viewed and treated differently to staff. You will also be aware that volunteers should not be used as an alternative to paid staff (this is called job substitution).
When writing role descriptions, it is very important to avoid any suggestion of job substitution for the following reasons:
· If someone is not paid but is treated like an employee that is not volunteering, it is a breach of minimum wage legislation. A ‘job description’ could be (and has been) evidence in a court case.
· If people think from first glance that it is a job and then realise they won’t be paid they may be disappointed and annoyed.
· Volunteers might get confused about your organisations expectations of them – for example that they must volunteer.
· You could receive negative press or public criticism.
| Instead of … | Say/write … |
| Working | Volunteering/helping/supporting/giving time |
| Job description | Role description/volunteering advert |
| Job | Role/activity/task |
| Contract | Volunteer agreement |
Avoiding saying ‘voluntary work’ as that can be confusing. The phrase ‘youth work’ is an exception because it is a technical term.
You can ask for CVs or application forms if it is suitable for the role – but only if it really matters. If you are recruiting for a volunteer with marketing experience a CV makes sense, but if you are recruiting for a volunteer to stuff envelopes then it is unlikely to be necessary. Do not ask for a cover letter, but you might ask for a paragraph on the person’s experience.
Register and tone
The register (how informal or informal) and tone of your role description depends on the role you are recruiting for and the audience you are targeting.
Generally, when writing volunteer role descriptions, a more informal register is better. Try to avoid jargon. If you are finding this a challenge, imagine explaining the role to a friend or relative who doesn’t work in a related field.
Make sure that you proof read it for spelling mistakes. If you are using Microsoft Word, go to the ‘Review’ tab at the top and newer versions should have a ‘Read Aloud’ function which will help catch errors. Avoid using acronyms (aside from really common ones like ‘NHS’ and ‘BBC’).
Think about the following words and how they fit with the role you are advertising for:
| Warm | Campaigning | Chatty | Serious | Polished |
| Authoritative | Fun | Laid back | Specialised | Formal |
| Direct | Responsible | Informal | Open | Creative |
Consider the following example sentences for role descriptions:
· We want kids who are going through a tough time to enjoy a summer of fun.
· Some of the people that we support are vulnerable, so volunteers must be willing to undergo an enhanced DBS check and reference check.
· Just turn up on Tuesday at 9am (in clothes you don’t mind getting muddy) for a quick briefing and then get ready to plant trees!
· Volunteers will need to be confident users of Microsoft packages.
Accessibility
It’s important to ensure that roles are accessible. Disability equality activists have the slogan “nothing about us, without us” – the includes volunteering and taking part in charitable activities.
You might want to consider the following options for your role description – get in touch if you’d like any support with any of this.
· Easy Read – ‘Easy read’ refers to the presentation of text in an accessible, easy to understand format. It is often useful for people with learning disabilities, and may also be beneficial for people with other conditions affecting how they process information. (source) Get in touch with us if you’d like support to create an Easy Read document.
· Audio – You could record the information being read out loud to make it accessible to blind and partially sighted people, or people who have to blind and partially sighted people, or people who have visual processing difficulties.
· Large print – Suitable for partially blind people. Large print is generally 16 to 18-point size. Giant print is anything larger than this. Regular print is usually 10 or 12 point. (source)
· BSL – You could pay for a BSL interpreter to translate the advert and sign it in video form. You could include a link to the video in the opportunity description.
· Discussion – Offer to explain the role over the phone to someone who would find that easier. Equality and diversity It is very important when recruiting volunteers to:
Equality and diversity
· Use plain English, writing in everyday language.
· Unless you want to restrict a role to a particular gender (e.g. a companion who takes someone swimming), don’t use gendered language – e.g. asking for ‘mums’. Always use ‘they’ rather than ‘he or she’ and don’t assume people’s pronouns.
· In photos/images consider groups of people that reflect the diverse population of Waltham Forest.
· People who celebrate Christmas are often interested in volunteering at this time and so it often a big time for recruitment. It’s important to remember that not everyone celebrates Christmas – consider mentioning other religious and cultural festivals.
· Refer volunteers to us if English is not their first language and they need support.