What are the common maltreatments experienced by volunteers?

Question

What are the common maltreatments experienced by volunteers?

Answer 1

Volunteers are typically seen as "disposable resources" in many organizations.  There is a cost to recruit them - usually a continuous effort in some organizations - but little is typically spent in retaining them.  The end result is a never-ending cycle of having to find new volunteers, treating them poorly, they leave, and the organization has to find new volunteers again.

Several of the "big" problems in the treatment of volunteers include:

* ignoring their problems / suggestions while executing their functions; while typically volunteers don't see "the big picture," they do see a little part of it and shouldn't be dismissed outright because they don't see how their "problem" isn't that signficant

* being given "make work" or insignificant responsibilities - or not being told why what they are doing is important.  That feeling of not contributing to the bigger picture is part of why they leave - volunteers want to feel needed

* not being appreciated for what they do - it costs nothing to say "thank you" and little more for some recognition individually or as a group - and they should darn near be the first to be recognized

* inappropriate assignment - usually, "training" a volunteer isn't done, but a little thought should be put into what type of background one has and compare it to the group needs - and try to match the two.  When that fails, the volunteer is ineffective (might as well have not volunteered) and the job the volunteer was supposed to do doesn't get done properly.

Answer 2

-- not being appropriately trained for whatever task they are going to take on

-- not being asked for feedback about their volunteering experience

-- being discouraged from giving honest-but-critical feedback/comments

-- not having their concerns addressed

-- not receiving the recognition for their donated time that financial donors receive

-- not being kept in-the-loop regarding a nonprofits activities to the degree that financial donors are

-- being seen by many paid staff members as just "free labor"

-- staff assuming that a volunteer is "forever" and is never going to move on