How did you screen/orient the volunteers you involve(d) via the Internet?
(how do you evaluate their skills, do you do reference checks, how do you
tell them more about your organization and what its like to volunteer with
your agency, etc.)
2. I have been asking about which skills they felt they possessed to do the job effectively. Many have been giving me examples of their work on-line, in the form of other websites that they had created.
3. no
4. No Response
5. n/a
6. I met with her in person.
7. No Response
8. Informal
9. Good questions! Actually we are attempting to contrive systems that address each of these areas. One idea is test the waters with the virtual office volunteers -- I spell out the possiblities for various creative projects and ask them to respond. Then, I send them the hard copies of what we will want them to create - and get their feedback. I have created an application with reference checks and employment and volunteering history - I intend on sensitive assignments to follow through to complete those reference checks. I have also, again on sensitive assignments, included information for driver's license checks on the application -- these are the ordinary risk management approaches to screening volunteers who will be involved with vulnerable populations. (ie the elderly, children, the disabled) The virtual office support volunteers are also receiving our general organziational literature to acquaint them with who we are and what we do. The organizations that involve the virtual pen pals will be provided similar agency literature. Skill evaluation comes through by their sharing what computer software they are most comfortable with -- it is pretty clear right off if they know their stuff or they don't! I intend to give overlap projects to more than one volunteer, just as I would if he/she were helping in my office! That way, one volunteer is only responsible for a portion of the project. This keeps the volunteer from being overextended. I only involve them as much as they indicate they wish to be involved. We will be discussing and agreeing on "reasonable" timelines for their assistance also.
10. No Response
11. We dispensed with those particulars, We just went to work.
12. so far we take anyone who offers
13. Corresponded by e-mail to learn more about each other
14. We tell them more and learn more via phone, e-mail, and US mail. We do not do reference checks.
15. They didn't seem to want too many questions. They just wanted to know what to do. Once we started to work together they were more open about answering questions about themselves.
16. We do not screen them, we e-mail them all the information they ned to know about our organization and the job we need them to do.
17. No Response
18. N/A
19. I hold a new volunteer orientation for all new volunteers. I only check references if something in their application makes me a little wary of the individual.
20. None, just trusted them. Don't have time to evaluate really. If they screw up, maybe I'd be more careful in the future
21. N/A
22. Leap of faith
23. We have not done any screening... we need volunteers to enter data...after next october we will have a better feel for these answers
24. I could use some training in this area. It's all new to me.
25. Talk to them via Email, and broadcast via my list the volunteer job opportunities, and whoever speaks up first gets it!
26. iwill be checking out his web sites, telling him lots about our organization
27. I see if they disappear after I send them more information.
28. No Response
29. N/A
30. No Response
31. Through questions via e-mail I have sent info through the mail-info through e-mail and phone conversations
32. No Response
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