Information for Organisations

1. Getting the best out of skilled volunteers

Read our Guide for voluntary organisations to help you prepare for recruiting a volunteer and manage them successfully.

2. Recruiting skilled volunteers through Reach

Stage one - Filling in the registration form

The first stage is to download and fill in our registration form. You will need to give us details about your voluntary organisation as well as the role that you wish to fill.

The information you provide on our form is the basis of your entry on our online database. This is what potential skilled volunteers will see. It acts as a sales pitch for your organisation and should aim to motivate a skilled volunteer to come and join you. Try to inspire them with what your charity is trying  to achieve as well as provide a clear description of the position and what is interesting about it. Try to be as clear as possible about the type of work and the time commitment required.

If you have any difficulty filling in the form or would like to discuss any aspects of it with us do not hesitate to call us on 0207 582 6543.

Once you have finished filling in the registration form please e mail it back to us at mail@reachskills.org.uk.

Stage two -  Checking the form

Once we have received your completed form we will cast our experienced eye over it in order to ensure that it will appeal to our skilled volunteers. At this point we may contact you with suggestions for how the role could be clarified or refined to ensure that it will sound interesting and challenging. Once we are confident that your role will attract the right volunteers we will get to work on recruiting skilled volunteers on your behalf.

Stage three - Selecting the right skilled volunteers for your organisation

We will search our directory of highly skilled volunteers to find the right combination of skills and time available to suit your role. Once we have selected a short list of suitable volunteers we will contact them on your behalf to find out if your role would suit them. You will then receive details of candidates who have the experience you are looking for and who have expressed an interest specifically in your role.

Stage four - Meeting potential candidates

Once you have received the details of interested volunteers we suggest that you contact them to arrange a meeting. There is no need to commit to a volunteer until you have met with them. Contact them as soon as you can as in our experience volunteers are at their most enthusiastic immediately after registering. A speedy response will also reflect well on you as an organisation.

When you meet with the volunteer you will want to discuss your requirements and their skills and availability to form a view on whether you have the right fit for a successful working relationship. You may decide you want to meet more than one candidate.

Once you have met the volunteer that is right for you then please inform all those that you have had contact with of your decision including us.

If you would like any help throughout any stage of the process then please give us a call on 0207 582 6543 and we will be more than happy to help.