Training Volunteers to Assist With Your Virtual Events
Over the past few years, virtual events have become an essential part of the nonprofit sphere. Not only do virtual events offer the ability for people to connect during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they have also made attending events more affordable and accessible to people around the world.
With an ever-increasing demand for virtual events, some organizations are now looking for volunteers to help them plan, organize and execute these experiences.
Volunteers have always played an important role in events, so bringing them in to help with the operations of a virtual event isn’t all that different. Virtual events require similar volunteer recruitment, training, management, and engagement processes as in-person events do. Since virtual events are new to most volunteers, they are not likely to have the skills or experience needed to help with a virtual event without training.
This article will offer insight into why it’s important to train your volunteers and the best practices to follow to ensure your virtual event is a success. We’ll cover:
- Why is Virtual Volunteer Training Important?
- Best Practices for Virtual Volunteer Training
Just like staff, volunteers require additional training when they are tasked with a new project. Let’s dive into why investing in virtual event volunteer training is so important.
Why is Virtual Volunteer Training Important?
You wouldn’t expect a new staff member to know how to do something without prior instruction or training, so you shouldn’t expect that from your virtual event volunteers, either. Your volunteer team is an essential part of the planning and execution of your virtual event, which means the more equipped and confident they are about the work they are doing, the more successful your event will be.
Your volunteers are your event brand ambassadors, and they are often the people your attendees interact with the most. With such an important role to play, leaving volunteers ill-equipped can negatively impact your event’s reputation.
For example, you may have volunteers who are in charge of different activities and who interact with both the attendees and the talent at your event. They will be the experts in the room and the person event participants will turn to for any answers. If these volunteers are ill-prepared, they can directly change the experience of those participating in the event, for better or worse.
With that in mind, consider all the roles those volunteers will have during the event, and make sure you implement the right training to ensure they are able to get their tasks done without any anxiety or issues. The more confident and informed your volunteers are, the better the event experience will be for those attending.
Best Practices for Virtual Volunteer Training
1. Create set volunteer roles
You can’t train people for tasks without planning and identifying what tasks and skills will be required for each volunteer role.
Here are a few questions to help you define your volunteer roles:
- What are the main task requirements for the role?
- What skills are required to execute the tasks?
- What qualifications are required for the role?
- Can you train volunteers to complete the task or do you require volunteers to have prior experience that is relevant to the tasks?
Taking the time to clearly define each volunteer role required to execute your virtual event will not only help you build a training plan, but it can also help you with recruiting volunteers as well.
Creating volunteer roles and job descriptions beforehand can help match volunteers to the right positions that they’re qualified for and ensure they receive the right training beforehand. For example, virtual event ambassadors can help drive event attendance when trained on effective promotion and social sharing techniques. By taking the time to clearly identify and define the various volunteer roles your virtual event requires, you will be better able to then build out your training plan.
2. Cater training to specific event types
With a clear understanding of all the tasks your volunteers will need to complete, the next step in creating a great training plan is considering the context in which your volunteers will be working. If you are hosting a hybrid event with in person and virtual components, then the training will be very different compared to if you are hosting a completely virtual event.
For example, if you have volunteers who are going to help in person, you may want to do the training in person and onsite so they are familiar with the location and equipment. However, if your event is totally virtual, you will want to offer online training for your volunteers since all their work will take place virtually.
Create an intro or crash course for all your volunteers to ensure they are aware of your event’s code of conduct, branding guidelines, and other important information. Remember, your volunteers are your event brand ambassadors, so it’s important to make sure they are trained to represent your organization well and to ensure that the event is a great experience for attendees.
3. Provide ample tech resources
It goes without saying that a virtual event requires a lot of technology resources and tech savvy to keep things running smoothly. Since technology is required to do most tasks, ensure that each of your volunteers are properly equipped with the right hardware and software to do their assigned tasks.
Once your volunteers have all the equipment they need to do a great job, ensure that they have the correct training on all software or tools they will be using while working your event. Consider hosting a few event prep training sessions or offer online courses to get them up to speed and confident about all the tasks they will be assigned. The more training volunteers have, the better they will be able to execute their tasks.
It’s a good idea to assign a few staff members to be available to help with any technical issues that might arise during the event. This way, if any roadblocks come up, your volunteers know there is support available to them at any given time.
4. Keep track of training history
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to planning events and managing volunteers, and the last thing you want to do is lose track of all the important details needed to ensure your event goes smoothly. One of those important details is whether or not your volunteers have received the right training for the tasks or roles they have been assigned.
Keeping track of training doesn’t need to be complicated. With the right volunteer management software, you can keep track of the training your volunteers have completed and log information regarding their skills, qualifications, availability, and even hours worked. All these details can come in handy when you need to fill schedule gaps or run reports. This type of tracking not only ensures that your virtual events run smoothly, but it also empowers you to host better events in the future by reusing the most effective training strategies.
Volunteers have many important roles to play in ensuring your virtual event runs smoothly and successfully. Dedicating some time to planning upfront will ensure that all your volunteers are trained and ready to represent your organization or brand in the best possible way. With the right volunteer management tools and preparation, your virtual event will go off without a hitch.
About the Author
Cassandra Smallman
Cassandra is a passionate content creator dedicated to fostering positive impact through thought leadership in both the Nonprofit sector and live events industry. You can find her work at www.initlive.com or on Linkedin and Twitter.
