ACF Compassion Capital Fund

Increasing the Capacity of Individuals, Families and Communities

Capacity Benchmarking Tool
For Faith- and Community-Based Organizations

Table of Contents | Part VI: Technology | Part VIII: Financial Management

Part VII: Managing Staff and Volunteers

What is Managing Staff and Volunteers?
In addition to financial resources, people (e.g., paid staff, volunteers, independent contractors) are central to an organization’s ability to fulfill its mission. Managing staff and volunteers (“human resources management”) includes a broad range of functions such as: identifying staff positions; hiring, training, guiding, supervising, and motivating employees and volunteers; developing compensation systems; shaping personnel policies to govern how staff and volunteers work in the organization; and conforming to legal regulations.

Why is Managing Staff and Volunteers important?
Effective staff and volunteer management systems:

Provide communication channels to help enhance service quality and efficiency;
Enhance morale and encourage people to perform at their highest level (this can be particularly important for jobs with relatively low pay, potentially limited career ladders, and high stress); and
Reduce staff turnover and costs associated with recruiting and training replacement staff.

What topics are covered in the Managing Staff and Volunteers section?

Performance Goals and Review
Staff Management
Hiring
Volunteer Management

Performance Goals and Review
Performance Goals and Review	Needs a lot of work (1)	Needs some work (2)	Needs a little work (3)	Meets Current Needs (4)
Best Practice: Staff know what to do and how well they are meeting expectations.
Basic Benchmarks
1. Staff receive informal feedback about their job performance.
2. There are accurate and clearly written job descriptions for all staff positions.
Enhancement Benchmarks
3. The organization has a formal performance review process to assess employees' work quality. At a minimum, the formal review process occurs on an annual basis.
4. Performance reviews establish measurable goals and strategies to support employees' development. Employees are encouraged to help develop their performance goals for the coming year.
5. Performance reviews help determine the conditions of continued employment, especially for those who have not met expectations.
6. Job descriptions are updated as job duties change.

Tips and strategies for developing job descriptions:

Job descriptions include requirements related to:

Program outcome goals;
Education;
Technical skills;
Program skills;
Language(s), spoken, written;
Communication skills (oral and written);
Administrative and management skills;
Previous experience;
Interpersonal skills; and
Ability to organize multiple demands.

In addition to specific job roles and responsibilities, the job description often includes expectations about:

Travel;
Stress load;
Overtime (and comp time); and
Salary.

Staff Management
Staff Management	Needs a lot of work (1)	Needs some work (2)	Needs a little work (3)	Meets Current Needs (4)
Best Practice: Staff members have the support and guidance they need to fulfill their job responsibilities.
Basic Benchmarks
1. Personnel policies are clear, fair, and consistently applied.
2. Formal staff meetings are structured to: Keep staff informed and motivated; Invite creative input and discussion; Explain major internal and external events relevant to the organization; Deepen staff members’ understanding of the organization’s broad goals; and Build a sense of team and staff appreciation.
3. The organization has a culture of everyone working hard and pitching-in.
Enhancement Benchmarks
4. Management roles, responsibilities, and lines of reporting are clear.
5. Responsibility is delegated to promote an effective division of labor, job satisfaction, and leadership opportunities.
6. There is a written personnel manual. The board approves personnel policies, policy changes, and the personnel manual.

Tips and strategies for improving staff management:
	Discussing plans, challenges, experiences, and strategies through informal conversations and group staff meetings help to keep staff informed and motivated.
	Touch base with staff members periodically (especially after the completion of significant projects) to let them know how you think they are doing, as well as to receive staff members' feedback.
	Executive directors who show enthusiasm for and pride in their employees' work often increase staff members' inspiration.
	Often staff thrive when given whole areas of responsibility rather than lists of individual tasks.
	Nearby law schools may provide pro-bono review of personnel policies.

Hiring
Hiring	Needs a lot of work (1)	Needs some work (2)	Needs a little work (3)	Meets Current Needs (4)
Best Practice: Hiring practices result in staff members who fulfill their job duties in ways that best support the organization's mission.
Basic Benchmarks
1. The executive director hires people highly motivated by the mission.
2. Job candidates' employment references are checked.
Enhancement Benchmarks
3. Long-range and annual plans help inform new job positions and the required staff qualities.
4. The hiring process is efficient and effective in identifying the best candidates for the job.

Tips and strategies for efficient hiring processes:

Plan interview questions ahead of time.

Involve staff members with responsibilities related to the vacant position in the interview process.

(For example, the direct supervisor and at least one direct report, if there are any, might provide a first round of interviews before the executive director meets the candidate.)

Volunteer Management
Volunteer Management	Needs a lot of work (1)	Needs some work (2)	Needs a little work (3)	Meets Current Needs (4)
Best Practice: The organization provides satisfying volunteer experiences that add value to the organization.
Basic Benchmarks
1. Volunteers are recruited through staff members', board members', congregants', and other volunteers' contacts.
2. Staff learn about each volunteer's skills and interests and determine how these might help the organization.
3. The organization designs attractive volunteer roles and assignments.
4. The organization provides the guidance and supervision needed for volunteers to perform well and derive satisfaction.
5. The organization recognizes volunteers formally and informally.
Enhancement Benchmarks
6. The organization has a volunteer recruitment plan.
7. Volunteer recruitment recognizes that volunteers are valuable capacity building resources and, therefore, focuses on getting the best volunteers for each position.

Tips and strategies for recruiting, selecting, and showing appreciation for volunteers:
	Consider the following strategies for recruiting volunteers: Posting volunteer job descriptions; Speaking engagements; Media advertising; Volunteer centers; and Printed and electronic advertising.
	Consider the following strategies for selecting volunteers: One-to-one meetings (staff member, board member, or volunteer can meet with a potential volunteer); Volunteer interests surveys; Information sessions; and Site visit invitation.
	Consider the following strategies for showing appreciation for volunteers: Telling them directly; Sending thank you notes; Spreading the word about volunteer efforts via email and newsletters; and Hosting events in honor of the volunteers.

Congratulations! You have completed your assessment of the Managing Staff and Volunteers capacity area. Use your responses to determine the most important capacity building priorities. Please review the "How to Use This Tool" section on page 4.

Table of Contents | Part VI: Technology | Part VIII: Financial Management

Capacity Benchmarking Tool For Faith- and Community-Based Organizations

Part VII: Managing Staff and Volunteers

Capacity Benchmarking Tool
For Faith- and Community-Based Organizations