Recruit

In this section, you’ll find recruitment resources including blogs with successful experiences, advertising guidance, and other insights to enhance your recruitment efforts and experience.

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Recruit: Shared Experiences

Hear from organisations that have successfully reviewed, developed, and implemented innovative practices in their volunteer programmes, seeing significant success in the recruitment and retention of volunteers.

Archaeology Scotland and Scottish Refugee Council co-design volunteer taster session

This blog from the Make Your Mark in Volunteering Campaign delves into the process behind their programme of volunteer taster sessions, which are co-designed between a heritage organisation and a community group representing marginalised people. By working in partnership with communities excluded from heritage volunteering, the taster sessions have enabled a more diverse range of people to try out heritage volunteering and experience the benefits of doing so.

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Journey to Diverse and Inclusive Volunteer Recruitment

In this blog by Drumchapel Citizens Advice Bureau, learn how they’ve successfully attracted a diverse range of volunteers from different backgrounds, including ethnic minorities, older adults, and working-age groups. The blog highlights innovative strategies like QR codes, community partnerships, and inclusive practices that promote personal growth and peer mentoring. It’s a great resource for organisations aiming to enhance volunteer recruitment and create an inclusive environment.

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Overcoming Challenges Through Community Engagement

In this blog by Skye & Lochalsh Citizens Advice Bureau, discover how they’re addressing post-COVID volunteer shortages by focusing on deeper community integration. Though their recruitment process hasn’t changed, they’ve increased engagement through local events, schools, and partnerships to boost word-of-mouth awareness. With advertising in local media and outreach efforts, they emphasise that strong community relationships are key to recruitment and retention, making their service trusted and valued.

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Inclusive and Welcoming Volunteering

This blog by Glasgow Life outlines their new approach to creating an inclusive and welcoming volunteer culture. After moving their volunteer department into Business and Strategy, they refreshed their Volunteering Policy and developed a comprehensive strategy and action plan for 2023-2026. A key goal is to diversify their volunteer base by targeting underrepresented groups and enhancing recruitment efforts. They’ve improved marketing materials, promoted the benefits of volunteering, and focused on accessibility and inclusion. By listening to volunteer feedback, they’ve implemented training, buddy systems, and social events to improve retention and foster a supportive volunteer community.

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Increasing Volunteer Retention

This blog from NCT Aberdeen City and Shire outlines how they increased volunteer retention for their Nearly New Sales, which are fully run by volunteers. After struggling post-Covid to attract consistent volunteer support, they revamped their recruitment strategies by promoting flexibility, offering varied volunteer roles, and introducing family-friendly volunteering options. They also focused on improving the volunteer experience with dedicated welcome teams, clear instructions, and regular feedback through surveys. These efforts have led to a strong, supportive volunteer base, enabling the growth of the sales.

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Flexibility in Community Volunteer Recruitment

This blog by Greener Peebles focuses on the flexible approach they take in recruiting and retaining volunteers for their community garden. Running since 2013, the garden sees about 30 volunteers weekly across open sessions, where new volunteers can easily get involved. The blog outlines their recruitment methods, including using social media, local magazines, community events, and partnerships with schools and other local groups. It also highlights how they retain volunteers by fostering a welcoming, inclusive environment, offering flexibility, and encouraging participants to share ideas.

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Recruiting Young People for Volunteer Roles

This blog provides an overview of sportscotland’s process for recruiting young people to join the Young People’s Sport Panel. Every two years, young people aged 14 to 23 are invited to apply, with the recruitment spanning several months. The blog outlines the steps involved, from initial outreach and applications to the selection process, including interviews and in-person activities.

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Ethnic Minority Inclusive Volunteering

This blog discusses the Ethnic Minority Inclusive Volunteering project, led by ESFA (Energy Saving for All), which provides energy advice to ethnic minority (EM) communities in Scotland. The project, run by Changeworks and CEMVO Scotland, relies on volunteers from EM communities to connect with and support households. It emphasises the importance of lived experience in volunteering, offering training and opportunities for volunteers to deliver energy advice, while also valuing their contributions through support, networking, and recognition. Volunteers are crucial to the project's success, helping to foster trust and drive change within their communities.

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Successful Volunteer Recruitment

This blog from Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority is essential for anyone looking to enhance their volunteer recruitment strategies. They offer practical insights into modernising recruitment processes through digital tools, making them more efficient and accessible for volunteers. They also explores the benefits of flexible recruitment, especially for engaging young volunteers quickly. These strategies can significantly improve your ability to attract, recruit, and retain volunteers.

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Good Practice Recruitment

This blog by CACE (Cumbernauld Action for Care of the Elderly) is valuable for anyone seeking effective volunteer recruitment strategies. This guide offers practical advice on reducing barriers to volunteering, such as simplifying application forms and providing flexible training options. You'll learn how to leverage social media for recruitment, engage minority groups, and retain volunteers through personalised support and appreciation. They also emphasise the importance of understanding volunteer motivations and building genuine connections to create a more successful and inclusive volunteer programme.

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Impact of Volunteers Case Study

This blog by AberNecessities offers valuable insights into the crucial role volunteers play in the organisation. They share how volunteers enhance the charity's operations, increase its reach, and foster community engagement. They also include a real-life example showing the personal growth and fulfilment that comes from volunteering. This is a great resource for understanding how volunteer efforts drive positive change and why engaging in such work is both impactful and rewarding.

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Recruit: Advertising your opportunities

Our philosophy is to promote volunteering opportunities as widely as possible. Advertising your opportunities on volunteer.scot is completely free, and there are multiple ways to upload and manage them, including events.

Advertise Locally via Volunteer Centre/TSI

If your organisation has volunteer roles based in one or two local authority areas in Scotland, you should reach out to the relevant local Volunteer Centre(s) or Third Sector Interface (TSI). They can assist in promoting your opportunities on volunteer.scot.

Find Support Locally here

Advertise Centrally via Volunteering Zone

If your organisation offers volunteer roles across multiple local authority areas in Scotland, you may be eligible to use the Volunteering Zone. This platform allows you to publish your opportunities on volunteer.scot and manage them centrally.

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Advertise your Events

You can promote your upcoming events in need of volunteers by using the online form on volunteer.scot. This simple tool allows you to easily list your event and showcase the volunteer opportunities available, helping ensure its success.

Find Support Locally here

Recruit: Recruitment Assets & Graphics

Download the campaign graphics to support your volunteer recruitment efforts. There are even editable versions for you to add your own imagery/logos to.

Recruitment Posters

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Recruitment Postcards

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Recruitment Flyers

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Social Media Images

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Printable Quiz

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Web & Email Footers

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Illustration Graphics

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Roller Banners

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Brand Logo Pack

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Brand Guidelines

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Canva Templates

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Share your knowledge & expertise

Help shape the future of volunteering in Scotland and share your valuable insights and experiences.

Next steps

Explore the National Recruitment Campaign section for even more! Discover inspiring stories from volunteers and organisations, along with guides, tips, and resources – everything you need to enhance your volunteer programmes and take the next steps.