Performance Management

The effective operation of a volunteer program requires a supportive working relationship between supervisors, staff and volunteers. All too often managers do not realise that these relationships require careful management on a daily basis. Similarly, the management of a volunteer's individual performance should also be a daily activity of supervisors in addition to periodic performance assessments.

This module will explore issues regarding the supervision of volunteers and the appropriate use of performance assessments. It will also cover how to manage underperformance issues and develop a complaints management system to address concerns raised by volunteer during a performance assessment or daily operation.

Supervision

There is balance between over managing volunteers and not providing enough support. Often smaller organisations take on volunteers to meet certain organisational needs, but do not always consider what the support needs of those volunteers will be.

As in an employer and employee relationship the level of supervision for each individual will be dependant on the tasks they are undertaking and their level of competency. Nevertheless, there are some aspects of volunteer supervision that require additional emphasis, these include:

• Clearly identifying who is responsible for supervising a volunteer on a daily basis, it may be a volunteer co-ordinator, a staff member or another volunteer.
• Recognising that a volunteer's position may be a lower priority in comparison to other events that may arise in their lives, therefore, a flexible management style is often more appropriate.
• Allocating time for management; volunteers are not a free resource their involvement in your organisation takes a considerable amount of your time and energy.

Best Practice Tips

• Consider supporting volunteers to try tasks they may not be quite yet ready for. By setting goals that they must extend themselves to complete you can build volunteers' confidence and instil a sense of accomplishment.
• Occasionally take a step back and allow volunteers to try and solve problems, they may not need the direction of staff.

Performance Assessments

While it is important to manage volunteers' performance on an ongoing basis, performance assessments are also useful tools.

Performance assessments provide an opportunity for a supervisor and volunteer to sit down and constructively discuss the volunteer's performance. It is also an opportunity to set new goals, identify opportunities for training and personal development, identify and address any issues that they may have encountered, ascertain their current motivations and gain feedback on ways to improve your volunteer program.

Often managers and supervisors feel that is unnecessary or rude to evaluate a volunteer's performance; after all they are volunteering their resources and time to the organisation and are not a paid employee. Nevertheless, experienced managers of volunteer programs have observed that over time a lack of direct feedback and direction can drain energy from a volunteer program and volunteers can lose a sense of purpose.

By developing and reviewing personal and work related goals with a volunteer you are investing time in their development, which is recognition of their contribution as well providing the necessary feedback to assist them achieve goals and improve their performance.

Performance management is dependent upon the establishment of a climate of trust and support that allows practices to be challenged and performance to be reviewed. It is based on the following principles:

• Honesty, openness and fairness
• Agreed expectations
• Empowering and supporting

The content of a performance assessment should always be linked to the volunteer profile. Generally a performance assessment should focus on the following areas:

• The volunteer's tasks
• Performance planning - the contribution of the volunteer's performance to the achievement of organisational goals and objectives
• Personal development plan - new challenges that will keep the volunteer motivated
• Recognition - which explicitly acknowledges their achievements
• Feedback and review - enables volunteers and managers to identify areas for improvement and learning and development opportunities
• Communicating grievances - invite volunteers to raise any matters of concern and if possible discuss ways of managing or resolving their concerns. Also see 'Dispute and Complaints Management'
• Addressing underperformance - see 'Managing Poor Performance'

Often during the course of a performance assessment it becomes apparent that the volunteer profile does not directly match the tasks the volunteer undertakes. Therefore, a performance assessment can also be an opportunity to review and update your volunteer profile. A sample performance assessment is provided in the supplementary material as a guide.

• Avoid focussing on the feedback and review stage of the assessment, as it is only one part of the assessment process.
• Ensure that assessments take place in a location that affords privacy, the performance assessment processes is based on establishing trust and if a volunteer is unable to relax because colleagues are within hearing range they are less likely to speak candidly or raise issues that are effecting their performance.

Additional Resources

Performance Assessment Template.

Dispute and Complaints Management

Disputes and complaints may be raised at any stage during a volunteer's career, however, they are more likely to be raised when a volunteer is specifically asked. Complaints may vary from trivial concerns to serious accusations and you need to make a call about when to formally intervene. In either event, it can be helpful to have an appropriate complaints management system and policy in place.

Properly handled, complaints can be an economical and effective way of improving public image, increasing volunteer satisfaction and identifying and rectifying defective business processes. Badly handled, complaints can be an expensive exercise that reflects poorly on the organisation, drives volunteers away and reinforces defective business processes.

General issues to consider in developing a complaints management system and policy include:

• Designing a policy that handles complaints in a clear and methodical series of steps
• Ensuring that all staff and volunteers can locate the policy
• Ensuring that the policy is supported by management and complaints are viewed in a positive context
• Ensuring that all complaints are documented
• Ensuring that complaints management staff receive appropriate training and having sufficient authority and experience in dispute resolution and complaint management handling.
• Ensuring that appropriate remedies are in place for dispute decisions
• Providing feedback to the complainant throughout the process on the status of their complaint and the final dispute decision.

Ideally, your complaints management system should form a part of your Volunteer Policy so it is readily available to all volunteers and supervisors. An example of a volunteer complaints management policy is available in the supplementary material to help you get started.

Additional Resources

'Investigating the Complaint' guidelines.

Sample Dispute and Complaints Management Procedure.

Managing Poor Performance

How we perceive conflict often determines how we manage situations when it arises. For people who prefer to avoid conflict managing the poor performance of a volunteer can prove a significant challenge. In most cases if you provide adequate supervision you can address a performance issue when it arises mitigating the issue.

Nevertheless, adequate supervision will not always be an option or a solution and in these events it can help to have strategies in place to assist you to manage the situation. After all if you avoid saying what needs to be said then you may exacerbate the situation and create additional problems in the future.

How to raise performance issues with a volunteer:

1. Make sure you have enough time
2. Ask the volunteer how they are feeling today to gauge your timing
3. Invite them to sit down with you
4. Be comfortable and get to the point, don't ramble
5. Ask the volunteer what they know about the policy relating to the issue you would like to raise
6. Reiterate or confirm the volunteer's knowledge on the issue, possibly outline the acceptable levels of conduct, their obligations and the consequences for not meeting these
7. Being straight forward with what may occur if they don't comply with these obligation and standards. It is often helpful to explain this in context of 'why' this will occur and 'when'.
8. Respond to the volunteer's feelings by listening and allowing time for them to absorb the information and ask any questions.
9. Offer water or pour yourself a glass of water, this can create a pause in the conversation and by breaking eye contact it can give the volunteer the opportunity to recompose themself if necessary.
10. Discuss methods to improve the volunteer's performance.

• All conversations with volunteers regarding poor performance should be documented

Additional Resources

'Performance Issue Solving Form - template.

Releasing a Volunteer

If the performance of a volunteer reaches a stage where they are not helpful to the organisation, the volunteer is unwilling or unable to amend their conduct to meet the requirements of their position or their decision making has caused irreparable physical, mental or psychological harm then you may have to consider releasing the volunteer.

But before you make this decision it is important that you ask yourself the following questions:

1. Have the roles, values and expectations of the organisation been clearly communicated to the volunteer and subsequently reinforced during prior conversations regarding the volunteer's performance?
2. Are there any other factors that may be contributing to the volunteer?s poor performance e.g. learning difficulties or language barriers?
3. Has the volunteer been reminded of expected codes of conduct and consequences for breeches?
4. Has the volunteer received training/mentoring and or coaching to improve performance?
5. Has a verbal and written warning been given explaining that any further non-compliance will result in termination of the volunteering opportunity?
6. Did the volunteer have the opportunity to respond to prior verbal and written warnings?

Often supervisors are reluctant to relieve volunteers from their duties, after all they're valuable commodities. Nevertheless, if your productivity is suffering, staff and volunteers are contemplating leaving or have left and there is ongoing disharmony in the workplace - is there any sufficient value in allowing the volunteer to continue?

Be warned:

• Unlike paid work people's investment is personal - be prepared for possible resentment or anger
• Don't expect to be liked for doing this; it's a thankless but essential task
• Be ready with written material that can provide evidence for your position and offer support options
• Be direct and to the point. By this time you should both know there's an issue
• Choose your location carefully so there's privacy but not secrecy (outside is ok if you feel safe)
• The person may walk out and that's ok
• Other volunteers and staff will need to be informed and they may not agree with your decision

Use the ham sandwich approach - one sentence each for each topic, don't ramble!

1. Thank the person, say something to the effect of: 'We have appreciated all the time and work you have given to the cause.'
2. Tell them the news, 'However, I need to advise you that as of (mention the date) your services will no longer be required' or 'we are standing you down for a period of (months) temporarily to revise the situation.'
3. Reinforce the value of their contribution and the need for support: 'I know this may be a lot to take in, here's some written material on places that can provide support because you may need it at sometime.' and 'Here are also other organisations that could possibly gain from your knowledge and expertise in the meanwhile, thankyou.'
4. Book a debrief session for yourself with your supervisor or someone you feel comfortable talking with.

Many supervisors struggle with releasing a volunteer due to a lack of assertiveness and clear communication. If you are finding that this is a particularly challenging task, bear in mind it is rarely an easy task, then there are organisations that deliver training in this area.

Additional Resources

Volunteer Dismissal template.

Relating to People with Issues Guidelines.