Section 4: Orientation

As previously mentioned, a new Volunteer needs an orientation to the organization and the position. The Volunteer should be introduced to his/ her co-workers, manager, board members, and assigned a contact person to answer any questions he/ she may have.

After the introductions it is time to learn about the organization itself. The Volunteer should be supplied with material outlining the mission and goals of the organization, the governance structure, commitment expectations including mandatory training, a contact list, site specific emergency procedures, code of conduct, reporting scheme, suggestion/ complaint procedure, statistic collection, parking, confidentiality and suggested methods of handling sensitive issues. This would also be a great place to put a written statement of the commitment of the organization to the Volunteers and the expectations around how paid employees are to interact with Volunteers. Please note that this is one section that should not merely be printed out in the form of a manual and handed to an employee or to a Volunteer. The manual is only part of the orientation and giving the Volunteer/ employee the opportunity to discuss these issues will increase his/ her understanding. This is an area that should be presented to the newly hired person.

Orientation Topics

Mission and Goals

This statement is very important in that it conveys the whole purpose of the organization to the Volunteers and paid staff. This will help new staff to identify the reasons for how we do what we do and why we do it at all. It also clearly states what we hope to accomplish over the next period and where we go from there.

Governance Structure

This is important in that it allows the new person some insight into how decisions are made and what to expect in the way of turnaround time for requests and approvals. It also tells the Volunteer who to contact with specific issues. This will certainly relieve frustration and untimely delays as a request is shuffled from one member of the governing body to the next.

Training Schedule / Commitment Agreement

A brief statement outlining the expectations of staff to participate in ongoing training and the arrangements made around this between the Volunteers and the organization. This statement should include the acceptable time line on completion of training as well as agreements as to who shall pay for this training.

Contact List

The contact list should include the names and telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, as well as the areas of responsibility for each person in the organization. It should also have after hours contact numbers for key personnel involved in site operations.

Site Safety/ Emergency Procedures

This section should include procedures for use in the case of emergencies and for prevention of these emergencies. Emergencies should include; fire break-in, theft, assault, health emergencies, electrical and plumbing problems, and technological issues. It should also include contact information for after hours site management

Code of Conduct

This section should include expectations of how site Volunteers and paid staff will interact with all manner of persons with whom they have dealings on-site and off, appropriate dress and language. Usually the code of conduct will attend to punctuality, patience, customer service, and rliability. People may include; board members, co-workers, other staff, the mentally and physically challenged, local media personnel, local and regional political representatives, members of visible minorities, and people of all age groups. This area should specify that there are one or more people assigned to speak with the media and that others should not take questions on site practices or events.

Complaint Policy/ Reporting Scheme

First, please do not think of complaints as blame assignments. They are tremendous opportunities to improve our services and the way we deliver them. Very few people actually complain to the organization. Most will leave and then complain to friends and family. This is our chance to make a change or at very least to educate the person as to why the site operates in the way it does. In some cases addressing complaints creates relationships between organizations and individuals.

This section should outline the policy and procedures established to deal with compliments and complaints as to how the site is run, how the client was treated, the location of the site, accessibility, courses offered, course content, hours open, etc.

Please note: the person to whom complaints are reported should not be the person responsible for the complaint. Compliments should be passed on to the person complimented as well as the supervisor. Therefore, complaint/ compliment procedures should be established to get the information to the proper person. One easy way to do this is by charting the type of complaint and assigning a person to handle these issues. For instance a complaint received on a particular staff member should be forwarded to that staff member's supervisor whereas one on building maintenance or location may be forwarded to a board/ committee member in charge of this area.

Statistic Collection

The old adage "I can't fix it if I don't know it's broken" is appropriate in this situation. The key to any successful service provider is to know what its customers need. Tracking current usage patterns will help to determine the direction of future efforts and services. Therefore, it is necessary that we provide the Volunteer with the chosen process to gathering this information.

Parking

Availability and instructions as to where to park and the times parking is available as well as the security of the area to break-ins is relevant information.

Housekeeping

The "rules of the room" including scheduled cleaning, storage of lunches, hanging of coats, placement

of winter boots, parking of bicycles, hours of operation, staff reports, staff meeting scheduling, vacation scheduling, Volunteer scheduling, staff coverage for meals and breaks, opening/ closing procedures, material acquisition, how to accept a donation, etc.

Handling Sensitive Issues

Procedures surrounding sensitive issues and how they are to be handled are a necessary section of the orientation package.

• Media- As previously stated the media should only speak to your spokesperson that should have a greater knowledge and competency in dealing with the media than most other employees/ volunteers. This is to ensure that a professional image is presented to the public.
• Confidentiality- Information discovered while at the C@P site should not be disclosed unless it pertains to a criminal act and then only to the local authorities. Information, even if widely known should not be discussed at the C@P site as it ma alienate people from using the services there. This is to create a positive atmosphere and reduce the risk of liable and slander charges.
• Death in a Family- There should be a way to minimize shock and to assist employees/ Volunteers when in situations of need. To minimize the discomfort the news should be conveyed in as private an area as possible. The employee/ Volunteer should be asked if there is anyone who he/ she would like to come and get him/ her. If not, he/ she should be transported to his/ her home or another location where there are friends/ family members to offer support

Evaluation Procedures

It should be clearly laid out what is expected of the Volunteer and how the performance should be measured.

Training Opportunities

Opportunities and the selection policies for future training should be outlined.

Suggested web sites:

http://jerryfeist.com/web/change/newemp.html 
http://charitychannel.com/article_179.shtml

Presentation Tips

• Presentation should be no longer than 2 hours.
  • If all materials are not covered in two hours, they may be handled through training sessions.
• Presentation should be broken up by using instruction films, power point presentations, visual aids, guided tours of site, and multiple presenters to maintain interest of attendees.
• Networking breaks, Nutrition breaks and Ice Breakers can be very useful to give a positive feeling of teamwork and acceptance to the organization.
• Visit should be made to session by site Management or Board Members to convey interest and commitment of the whole organization to the Volunteer positions.
  • If the session is for an individual or a group smaller than five it is acceptable to drop in on the Manager's or Board Member's office.
• Presentation should start with an overview of the organization, its mission, its goals, programs offered, the Volunteer program, how the program serves the needs of the target audience, each position and how they unite to make the program work.
  • A site organization chart would be beneficial.
  • Position descriptions should be included.
• Introduce the tools and resources the Volunteers will be working with.
• Reinforce the benefits of these Volunteer positions.
• Outline the events the Volunteer may attend.
• Introduce the organizations your site has developed partnerships with (HRDC, local universities, community groups, corporate sponsors, etc.).
• Time and a tone of openness for questions should be maintained with a careful eye to effective time usage. Use inclusive group input where possible. Do not single anyone out as it makes some people quite uncomfortable. Ask for Volunteered input only.
• Prepare the presentation, do not ad lib. This is the individual's introduction to the workings of your organization. Don't let them think you are disorganized or ineffective.
• Stick to time lines- It conveys organization, professionalism and respect for the time of the Volunteers.
• Touch on all policies and procedures.
• The time to hand out the manuals is when you are ready to go through the policies and procedures.
• This is the opportunity to have the Volunteer sign off on their position description, commitment agreement, training commitment and confidentiality agreement.
• Keep it light. Make sure your Volunteers know that they made the right choice and are going to enjoy working here.
• Stress reasons for Confidentiality and policies surrounding Risk Management. Likely reasons are Safety of Employees, Volunteers, and the organization from Liability issues. Use examples.
• End on a positive note. Welcoming each Volunteer by name and with a handshake or by presenting them with a name tag or some token of acceptance where possible will go a long way to creating a positive image of the organization.

The next document in this section contains a sample Orientation Session Outline developed by the CNL-C@P group of Newfoundland.

Outline for Orientation Session

1. Welcome (5 minutes)
   
   
2. Introductions (presenters and participants) (5 minutes)
   
   
3. Ice breakers (if large group) (10 minutes)
   
   
4. Part I -- Who are We? (15 minutes)
   CAP Program Programs offered at this centre Centre aims, values, future plans
   Who is involved :
   • staff
   • volunteers
   • clients
     
     
5. Part II --The Volunteer Program (20 minutes)
   Positions and the importance of their contribution
   Policies and procedures*
   Facilities and equipment
   Requirements
   Benefits
   Record keeping
   Time lines
   Key events that the volunteer can attend
   
   
6. BREAK (Coffee, doughnuts, juice) (15 minutes)
   
   
7. Part III -- Housekeeping (30 minutes)
   Tour of centre
   Introduction to volunteers, staff, clients not included above
   Dress code
   Parking
   Coatroom
   Where to take breaks
   Washroom location
   Sign in/ out procedure
   Phone numbers to call if unable to attend etc.
   
   
8. Questions (10 minutes)
   

Source: http://www.nfcap.nf.ca/sitemap/index.html
Download Outline for Orientation Session from the Tools Page.

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