Practice area 7
Exit volunteers
Principles
- Volunteering is a choice, and a volunteer may leave at a time that suits them.
- Exiting is an important part of the volunteer life cycle journey and relationships can be maintained even when the volunteer leaves the organisation.
Why this practice is important
Exiting is a stage in the volunteer life cycle journey. Well managed, it is an opportunity to celebrate service and achievements and open the way for the volunteer to stay involved with the organisation.
What volunteers need
- To know they can leave the organisation and will be supported to do this
- To know their succession will be proactively managed
- To have skilled volunteer managers to assist with the transition
- To be kept connected with the organisation if they wish
- If they are asked to leave, that there are good processes in place
What good practice looks like
Recognise that exiting is a stage in the volunteer life cycle journey and have policies and practices to manage this
- Map out the volunteer life cycle journey from beginning to end in an induction manual or process
- Provide for volunteers who wish or need to (for health or other reasons) take a break from volunteering, and allow them to reconnect
- Provide information on exiting practices and expectations
- Follow agreed exit processes
- Ask long-serving volunteers when they leave or retire how they would like to be farewelled
- Hold a farewell celebration or poroporoaki to acknowledge their contribution
- Thank and recognise those who have supported the volunteer through their service e.g. partner / whānau
Succession is proactively managed
- Hold succession discussions regularly
- Plan succession for roles where volunteers have a set period to be in a role (e.g. Governance Board)
- Explore and provide new opportunities if a volunteer says they are thinking of leaving
- Plan and coordinate the handover to enable the retention of institutional knowledge and skills
Volunteer managers are skilled in assisting with the transition
- Ensure lack of discrimination when working with volunteers with a disability
- Work with people to discuss their transition out of the organisation and what this might look like
- Have an off-boarding policy with clear guidelines e.g. for returning equipment, keys etc.
- Communicate the exit process and what will happen and why (positively framed)
- Celebrate the contribution of the volunteer and provide feedback and recognition
- Provide a record of service/certificate or reference and be available for referee checks
- Conduct an exit interview or have an online survey and use this feedback to improve the organisation practice
- Identify the role that the departing volunteer might want to have and what that might entail e.g. unofficial ambassador
- Ask the volunteer if and how they’d like to stay in touch with your organisation
Keep those leaving connected with the organisation
- Have a path for re-entering the organisation or to become donors, or members
- Offer referrals inter-organisation wide
- Offer ways to keep connected, e.g. to be a supporter or legacy group or sign up to newsletter, check in after 3-6 months?
- Invite the volunteer to join an alumni group to stay in touch with the organisation e.g. Facebook group
- Invite volunteers to follow organisation’s social networks
When the organisation is exiting the volunteer
- Use the code of conduct as a mechanism for addressing performance issues
- Follow good HR practice: Document, talk and explain, opportunity to comment
- Hold a meeting: Take role description, evidence of incidents, a support person, don’t go in on your own. Make it as safe as possible.
- Ask what else could the organisation do to support the volunteer?
- Plan and coordinate the handover to enable the retention of institutional knowledge and skills
- Arrange a handover of tools, equipment access cards/keys and ensure IT access is closed off
- Ask the volunteer to complete an online survey to learn how to improve the volunteer experience
- Acknowledge and thank the volunteer for their time and service