Dealing with a volunteer who constantly misses shifts. How can you effectively address this challenge?

Speak gently, but find a place where both of you can communicate free from distraction or overhearing. Then, start with a compliment of something they do well.

For me, the main problems for a volunteer missing shifts is they feel that they are doing unworthy things so that it is not worth to pay to. Therefore, several suggestions can be considered: 1. To choose the volunteer who really have passion and burden in the work given. 2. To motivate and tell them how important the works they do and what is the bad impacts if they do not do it well 3. To courage them that the work's value is connecting to the personality value and it is not about money of payment, but about the positive impacts given from the work they do.

1. Comunique-se com o voluntário: Entre em contato com o voluntário o mais rápido possível para saber o motivo da ausência. Expressa compreens?o e apoio, mas também enfatiza a importancia de sua presen?a. 2. Procure um substituto Publique um apelo em redes sociais, plataformas de voluntariado e dentro da organiza??o. Pergunte a outros voluntários se eles podem cobrir o turno. Considere o uso de um servi?o de voluntariado temporário. 3. Reajuste as tarefas e responsabilidades: Distribua as tarefas do voluntário ausente entre os outros voluntários ou funcionários. Reajuste o cronograma ou as expectativas conforme necessário.

Then why deal with them? When other people can be given that opportunity.So many people are willing to take on anything that is going out there. So if others feel like taking advantage of missing shifts, then what’s the point? Think about it.

In preparing to reach out, go over their volunteer application, talk with other volunteers and staff. Make sure you aren't missing any red flags in their current situation (health, personal distress, etc.), that may be keeping them from fully committing.

Reshare the mission of the organization and their role. Discuss how the organization benefits from them playing their part. Ask if they’ve added any organizational responsibilities or if they feel their role has evolved with the org. A lot of times with volunteers they lose connection with what gave them passion to volunteer in the first place. Or, they perceive a loss in connection and support from management or leadership that causes them to disengage.

I think it is always important to remember that life happens/changes the first thing people will drop to make room is volunteering. Whilst volunteers are essential to you, you are not essential to them. It is frustrating at times but changing the mindset will make handling these situations much easier.

I find that setting these expectations from the very beginning helps. People then understand that if they take on this role, there is a commitment to be made and an impact if they break that. Perhaps that commitment is not something they can take on right now, but if they don't know that from the start it's unfair to put them through the process. It sets them up to fail, and has a negative impact on the organisation's operations. Expectation management is key!

This is an important aspect making tyr volunteer realize their need and impact on their presence on time means. Ask if there is a problem with the scheduled time incase a job and transportation is a problem. Listen and if it’s just poor management of time then stress the need and ask if they still value the volunteering position.

I totally agree. It's absolutely important to also let them know how it's beneficial to them as well with respect to gaining skills and experience, which they can add to their CV. The added value of the interaction ans socialising which can help their mental health.

It can be useful, but it can also give bad impact, that they are working for the offering supports. They will angry if they feel that the offering is too small. It will ended with not a volunteer work anymore.

Volunteer managers can feel at the mercy of their volunteers. Capacity strapped organizations rely on volunteers to be able to meet the needs of their programs. Volunteers are often also part of the donor pipeline, meaning they are either being cultivated or already are a donor. This can sometime make us forget one clutch tool: Volunteers can be fired. Look, it's not a first choice. Or second. Or third. Think of it this way: if this was an employee whom your team relied on to contribute in order to get work done, would you accept consistent unexcused absences? Of course volunteers get a little more leniency, but at a certain point keeping an unreliable or disruptive volunteer is more harmful than politely saying "thanks, but no thanks."