Position descriptions are an important part of the volunteer recruitment process. They let volunteers know what they’ll be doing with your organization, so it’s important to have a position description that accurately reflects what volunteers will be doing. Here are some tips for writing a volunteer position description:

Be clear about what you want people to do. The volunteer position description serves as an introduction to your organization and to what you’re asking volunteers to do. It’s important to have a clear, easy to read description of what volunteers will be doing with your organization.

Have an interesting title. When a volunteer is looking at a list of available opportunities, what’s going to make yours stand out? Are you looking for an office volunteer or a Chief Morale Officer? Are you looking for a community garden volunteer or an Urban Horticulture Enthusiast? The position title is likely to be the first thing a new volunteer will see, so make it something interesting that will make them want to know more about the position.

What’s the purpose of the position? Make sure your position description not only lays out what the volunteer will be doing, but why the position is important to your organization.

What will the volunteer be doing? Make sure to identify the specifics of what the volunteer will be doing. It helps the volunteer to understand what is being asked of them, and helps you to assign tasks for the volunteer when they start with your organization.

Training. Let the volunteer know what kind of training your organization will give to make sure they’re able to do the tasks you’re asking them to do. Even if it’s just an orientation to their position and the office they’ll be working in, make sure to let them know that they’ll have an opportunity to learn more about what they’re being asked to do.

Evaluation. Let your volunteers know how they’ll be evaluated and who they’ll report to. In addition to letting volunteers know what they’ll be doing, letting them know how they’ll be evaluated and by who lets them know there’s some accountability with their position and that it’s important to the organization. Letting volunteers know who they’ll be reporting to gives them a specific person to ask questions to and to learn from.

What are your tips for writing volunteer position descriptions? Let us know in the comments!