Are You Seeking Professionals?

If you are a non-profit, governmental agency, or other institution, it can be difficult to find volunteers for your organisation, especially if you need a volunteer with a highly specialised skill set, such as that of a treasurer, secretary, or other professional.  According to a study by The Australian Society for Association Professionals, the members of many organisations are increasingly turning to their associations as their leading source for news and information about their industry, and these same members expect their groups to be a source of authority, a voice for influence within their profession. So now, more than ever, the professional qualifications and abilities of the person that your organisation selects counts more than ever.

How can you find great candidates to fill your group’s volunteer positions?  The answer may be as close as your next Tweet or targeted Facebook ad.

Today’s busy professionals are increasingly turning to social media to stay connected with the persons, places, things and even products and businesses that they care about.  Why should the associations and organisations that they are involved with be any different?  Social Media can be an incredibly efficient, low cost way of advertising a product or a position.  To be effective, you will want to keep the following tips in mind when you are using social media to locate your next recruit and get them to commit.

Have A Clear Online Presence Before You Advertise Your Position

Before you tell the world that you are seeking volunteers for your organisation, make certain that your association already has a website that clearly states its goals and mission and provides information about the sort of work that your group does.  Having a link on your group’s site that lists the benefits of volunteering with you, as well as contact information for potential recruits, can be very helpful to your efforts to find qualified volunteers.

Utilise Social Media Tools To Your Best Advantage

Facebook and other social media outlets often have tools to help you find out what members and other individuals are already saying about your group.  Oftentimes you can find a qualified volunteer simply by looking at those individuals who frequently like and comment on the status updates of your organisation, and Facebook offers you the ability to target your help wanted ads to those individuals so that you can ensure that you are controlling your ad costs and only targeting those with an interest in your cause.  Other social media tools, such as Google Search, can help you find individuals who are already interested in your group’s mission but who may not yet be affiliated with your association.

You can discover more helpful tips about how to use social media to find your next treasurer or other volunteer professional in this recent article at the online magazine, Third Sector.