Volunteers Blog Takeover
Volunteers make the world go round!
Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but not for PMI-DHC!
We are powered by, and only exist because of, our wonderful volunteers.
And the volunteers portfolio has the privilege of recruiting, on-boarding, and managing those volunteers. You can think of us as the HR department of the Chapter.
So, what do we actually DO, you might ask? We are an ‘always on’ portfolio, but our peak seasons you could call them are right at the beginning and end of our operational year.
In September, as things are kicking off and we are beginning the new year, my portfolio works closely with the board to identify roles needed and draft the role descriptions to go along with those roles, and then we recruit, recruit, recruit and onboard, onboard, onboard! The focal point of our on-boarding in September is the virtual information session that we just for anyone interested in volunteering with us, and runs typically between one to two hours. Following the information session, the team is engaged in what I’d like to describe as a whirlwind of applications, interviews and on-boarding meetings–this year we were particularly busy and went from having 17 volunteers (not including board members) to 54 in just over five weeks! We were very excited this year to transition our recruitment and application intake to PMI’s new Volunteer Engagement Platform. It’s a great tool that allows PMI-DHC to be more structured and systematic in its intake process–not to mention efficient! I’ve led the Volunteers portfolio for just over three years now and I’m proud to say that this has been our most successful recruitment season to date under my tenure with the Board!
The end of the year is also a busy time of year for us, as we host appreciation events and recognize our volunteers with certificates and tokens of appreciation as much as we can, while we transition our outgoing volunteers and onboard the newly elected Board.
The rest of the year is filled with ongoing engagement and recognition activities. Every month, we recognize a standout volunteer at the chapter meetings. We began hosting virtual networking socials for our volunteers every few months last year as well as send out volunteers newsletters as well, keeping them informed on the more general goings on within the Chapter that impact the broader volunteer group.
Volunteer engagement is a primary focus of the portfolio this year and our team is working hard to create new levers and tools to engage volunteers on an ongoing basis and to also provide opportunities specific to volunteers. An excellent example is our recently launched coaching initiative, in which we have offered select volunteers the opportunity to work with a professional coach for up to one year! We are excited to be able to offer dedicated volunteers in leadership roles outside of the board an opportunity to skill up and develop personally as well as professionally!
As an introverted people person, I take great joy in collaborating with people who see value in giving back. Beyond an office, beyond a pay check, there can be so much good that comes out of volunteering not just to the volunteer but also to the community at large. The ripple effects of the work that volunteers contribute are felt throughout and allow the chapter to grow. Like Lego blocks, one contribution builds on another and together, there’s no telling the magic that our wonderful volunteers will create! And I am grateful to have the privilege to play a part in each volunteer’s journey.
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