Recently, I got asked if I would share a job opening at a PDX (Portland, Oregon)-area nonprofit. It was for a receptionist / volunteer coordinator. I responded:
I actually have a policy not to promote receptionist/volunteer coordinator jobs. Sorry. It’s a matter of my perspective about the importance of both positions.
It wasn’t the first time I had to tell someone this.
I will not promote receptionist / volunteer coordinator jobs. I will not promote receptionist / donor manager jobs, receptionist / marketing manager jobs, nor receptionist / legal council jobs. Not that I have ever seen those last three jobs advertised. Because such a combination of jobs would be preposterous. Just as preposterous as combining receptionist and volunteer coordinator, or volunteer manager, or director of volunteer services into one position.
I could write a long blog about why but, honestly, if you don’t get it, I just don’t have the time…
See also:
- Resources re: labor laws and volunteering
- Requirements to volunteer are getting out of hand
- Involving volunteers: a cop out for paying staff?
- volunteer managers: you are NOT psychic!
- Deriding the monetary value of volunteer hours: my mission in life?
- The Value of volunteers – a web page to help you understand how to appropriately talk about the value of volunteers at your organization.
- Initiatives opposed to some or all volunteering (unpaid work), & online & print articles about or addressing controversies regarding volunteers replacing paid staff – a page I developed when someone told me there was no opposition to volunteer engagement because of job loss and “money saved” (obviously, that person was wrong)
- Make volunteering transformative, not about # of hours – a blog from earlier this year that illustrates how to talk about the value of volunteers in a much more powerful way (and one that keeps getting retweeted! Thank you!)
- Valuing volunteer engagement: an imaginary case study – an attempt to show, in the simplest way possible, why talking about volunteer value primarily in terms of monetary value insults volunteers
- CNCS continues its old-fashioned measurement of volunteer value, a blog from 2014 – and, no, CNCS nor the Points of Light Foundation responded.
- OPB & Congress Think Volunteers are Free – how the Independent Sector way of thinking influences the press (and a petition for you to sign to help fund resources for volunteer management on public lands)
I love all your blogs Jayne. But this one – I gotta say, I really love it.
It definitely struck a chord, given the view numbers!
Really great post Jayne. And thank you for taking a stand on the ludicrous practice of combing jobs. If organizations expect excellent work, then for Pete’s sake, hire a qualified person for each position and give them the support and resources they need.
Thanks too for allowing me to link my blog about recruitment ads here i really appreciate it https://vounteerplaintalk.com/2017/09/13/volunteer-coordinator-needed-read-the-fine-print/
I laughed so hard at your blog! A pox on me for not compiling these crazy and unrealistic requests in job postings for managers of volunteers! I think your blog will be due for a sequel…
hmmm I am not sure I understand where you are coming from myself.
I have an office volunteer manager (job title) who as part of their role answer telephone queries i.e is our receptionist. They manage a team of office based volunteers who do a range of roles one of which is to answer telephone calls i.e act as a receptionist.
Now we don’t have enough money to have a paid staff member answer all our phone lines during office hours without volunteers. So before we had volunteers helping 75% of our calls would have to go through an automated system or be left on an answerphone for someone to call back. Which our clients – frail and isolated older people struggle with and don’t like.
Now whilst the job title is slightly different – office volunteer manager vs receptionist / volunteer coordinator from my perspective they seem to be the same thing.
admittedly i have read all your other articles and there might be something in those that i am missing but i am curious 🙂
“office volunteer manager vs receptionist / volunteer coordinator from my perspective they seem to be the same thing.”
No.
If you see a manager of volunteers as “the same thing” as a receptionist, or an office manager, then you are devaluing volunteers. All volunteers are to your organization is free labor – bodies to come get tasks done, nothing more. And that kind of thinking is something myself and many others are fighting against. I wonder what your volunteers would think if they knew you think so little of them.
Volunteer engagement is community engagement. It’s much more than getting tasks done. And if you don’t see that, despite the vast amount of information from people that work with volunteers, then I have no idea what else to say.
The Value of Volunteers
http://www.coyotecommunications.com/volunteer/value.shtml
Mission statements for your volunteer engagement
(Saying WHY your organization or department involves volunteers)
http://www.coyotecommunications.com/volunteer/mission.shtml