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Screen potential applicants

Chapter 3:
Recruiting and selecting volunteers

Screening potential applicants

After recruiting a group of potential volunteers, the screening stage will determine if the potential applicants are good fits for the organisation. To screen volunteers, organisations need to first identify the screening criteria that they want to adhere to.

What are some criteria to screen the applicants for?

Suggestions for screening criteria include: 

  1. Personality traits of volunteers

  2. Motivations for volunteering

  3. Ability to forge bonds with service users

  4. Background checks 

Screening also comes in different forms, each with varying levels of intensity and administrative support required.

LEVEL 1

Application Form

LEVEL 2

Interviews

LEVEL 3

Reference Checks

Level 1: Application form

The application form is the first step a potential applicant takes to be a part of your organisation, and this is where first impression matters. An overly-lengthy form with questions which applicants might find irrelevant might discourage volunteers to take this first step. If you need recommendations on the types of relevant questions to include in the application form, read here.

 

The advantages to an application form for your organisation's screening purposes includes: 

  1. Tailored information

  2. Easy to compare against other applicants

  3. Easier to structure data in database

  4. Gives volunteer an idea of what is important to the SSA (based on information and questions asked)

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Here's a template for what you can put in your application form!

Level 2: Interviews

After getting past the application form, shortlisted applicants should be called down for interviews. The interviews present an opportunity for a 2-way assessment - for SSA to assess fit for volunteer, and also for a volunteer to align on expectations set out by SSA. 

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When preparing to interview applicants, these are the things you should prepare for: 

  1. Identify who will be interviewing the candidate.

  2. Find a suitable place / mode (e.g. e-platforms or calls) to hold the interview.

  3. Read through the candidate’s application form. 

  4. Know about the position that the candidate is interviewing for.

  5. Draft a few questions that will allow the candidate to demonstrate their suitability. 

  6. Anticipate what the candidate will want to know, potential areas of concern and prepare for them (e.g. potential questions on the service user group). 

  7. Use an interview assessment form to guide the interview to ensure you get the information you need. (NCSS has a sample of this in the toolkit)

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Here's a template you can use as your interview guide!

Level 3: Reference checks

The purpose of the reference check is to verify an applicant’s identity, and to ensure that the applicant does not have a background that can compromise the safety of your service-users. 

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To conduct reference checks, you could: 

1. Conduct social media checks.

2. Speak to SSAs which the volunteer was previously involved in.

3. Do basic searches for volunteers on the internet.

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