8 tips on how best to respond to a volunteer enquiry

Scouts happens when a lot of us give a little.

The more volunteers, the more we can share the load. We need volunteers to help give as many young people as possible the opportunity to join the movement and gain skills for life.

That’s why it’s important to warmly welcome new volunteers, and to know what to do to respond to a new volunteer enquiry.

8 tips on how best to respond to a volunteer enquiry

1. Have a clear process in place for responding to enquiries. You could assign one to two people this role.
2. Aim to respond within 48 hours. This'll avoid them losing interest or going elsewhere!
3. Be friendly and positive. Talk about the great choice they’ve made and the journey they’re about to go on.
4. Say thank you – just by enquiring they’re making a difference.
5. Try not to overwhelm them to begin with. Start slowly. Be honest and mention the DBS checks and learning opportunities, but don’t go through everything in your first communications with them.
6. Use an adult welcome pack to give them all the relevant information they’ll need.
7. Direct them to the welcome pages on the website, so they can find out more.
8. Once you’ve welcomed them to the team, be sure to check out our pages on keeping amazing volunteers.

For your emails, you could put on an automatic reply to say you'll be in touch, as well as the time frame in which people might hear back.