How do you use data and analytics to evaluate and improve your recruitment channels?

1 Define your recruitment goals and metrics

The first step is to define your recruitment goals and metrics. What are you trying to achieve with your recruitment efforts? How many volunteers do you need, for what roles, and by when? How do you measure the quality and fit of your volunteers? How do you track the conversion and retention rates of your volunteers? These are some of the questions you need to answer before you start collecting and analyzing data. You can use a framework such as SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to set your recruitment goals and metrics.

2 Identify and track your recruitment channels

The next step is to identify and track your recruitment channels. How do you reach out to potential volunteers? What are the sources and platforms that you use to promote your cause and opportunities? Some common recruitment channels include social media, email, website, word-of-mouth, events, partnerships, and referrals. You need to track and measure the performance of each channel using tools such as Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, Mailchimp, or SurveyMonkey. You can use metrics such as impressions, clicks, conversions, cost-per-acquisition, and return-on-investment to compare and evaluate your channels.

3 Analyze your recruitment data and insights

The third step is to analyze your recruitment data and insights. How do you make sense of the data and insights that you collect from your channels? How do you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your channels? How do you discover the trends and patterns that affect your recruitment outcomes? You can use tools such as Excel, Tableau, or Power BI to visualize and analyze your data and insights. You can use techniques such as segmentation, correlation, regression, or clustering to uncover the relationships and influences among your variables.

4 Test and optimize your recruitment channels

The final step is to test and optimize your recruitment channels. How do you use the data and insights that you analyze to improve your recruitment strategy and tactics? How do you experiment with different variables and scenarios to find the optimal solutions for your channels? You can use tools such as Google Optimize, Optimizely, or Unbounce to test and optimize your channels. You can use methods such as A/B testing, multivariate testing, or split testing to compare and contrast different versions of your channels and measure their impact on your recruitment goals and metrics.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?