Recognition and performance appraisal
Successful Clubs seek ways of maximising the performance and satisfaction levels of their volunteers by appraising, recoginsing and reward volunteers for their contribution to the Club.
Performance appraisal is a process of evaluating the effectiveness of volunteers and providing them with feedback. Performance appraisals should be used to recognise and reward volunteers who have done a good job and to identify where improvements in volunteers’ job performance can be made. Performance appraisal can be a formal process, particularly for operational level volunteers, or an informal process, particularly where the Volunteer Manager/Coordinator, the person responsible for performance appraisals, has worked closely with a volunteer.
Appraisal can be formal or informal and take a variety of forms. An innovative approach to appraisal is through a formalised volunteer mentoring program. Through mentoring, senior, more experienced and skilled volunteers are able to share their knowledge with recently recruited and less-experienced peers. It also enables those experienced volunteers to help improve performance through informal appraisals that occur as a result of the formal mentoring process. The formal introduction of mentoring has empowered long-term volunteers to provide guidance and direction to their peers in a supportive and developmental environment.
Recognition stems from genuinely valuing volunteers and their efforts within the Club. Everyone who volunteers deserves some form of recognition, even if it is a simple thank-you for helping out. Rewarding volunteers takes recognition a step further, by providing something tangible and extrinsic to the act of volunteering itself as a way of commending higher levels of performance among volunteers.
Recognition and reward programs tend to work best when they are individualised, varied and open to new and interesting ideas. These programs do not have to be complex to establish and administer, but they are an essential component of effectively retaining the services of volunteers in your Club..
Volunteer recognition should be:
- Immediate – recognise efforts as soon as possible
Specific – give personal recognition rather than general if possible
Consistent – recognise everyones achievements and avoid favouritism
Sincere – mean what you say and be genuine
Enthusiastic – be positive and upbeat
The Australian Rugby Union recognises the efforts and skills of volunteers and has implemented a national Volunteer Recognition Program in an effort to encourage and lift the profile of Community Rugby volunteers who have contributed to the development, promotion and or advancement of Rugby Union within Australia.
Click here for more information on the ARU Volunteer Recognition Program or contact your State/Territory Union to discuss initiatives within your State/Territory.
Acknowledgements
Reproduced with permission from the Australian Sports Commission and the Department of Sport and Recreation Western Australia.
