Research Rumble: Future-proofing the volunteer sector: How to attract and retain volunteers

Based in our city campus, our new Future of Work Institute will lead a dialogue around the journey of volunteering and how to attract and retain our future volunteers.

Future-proofing the volunteer sector: How to attract and retain volunteers

With an ageing population and a rising interest in engaging in meaningful work through not-for-profit organisations, volunteering will have an unprecedented place in tomorrow’s society and economy. Australian communities will increasingly rely on services rendered by volunteer organisations in all domains of life. Unfortunately, many volunteering organisations struggle to maintain enough volunteers to service their communities.

Volunteer organisations need to adapt their volunteer roles and contractual arrangements to fit today’s lifestyles and changing demographics. Effective attraction, socialisation, and engagement of volunteer workers seem vital to volunteer organisation growth. However, these elements are rarely approached as a whole. Therefore, we believe there is a need for an integrated approach that covers all stages of the volunteering journey.

Our research group studies how volunteer motivation changes throughout the volunteering journey, depending on organisational strategies; from advertisement of volunteering roles, to recruitment, to socialisation and induction, to ongoing engagement. Moreover, we aim to develop best practices for volunteering organisations for all these phases of the volunteering journey to—ultimately—recruit and retain more volunteers.

Find out what can make a difference in your recruitment and retention strategy.

Marylene Gagne - Professor, Future of Work Institute

Marylène’s research examines how organizations, through their structures, cultures, rewards, tasks, and management, affect people’s motivational orientations towards their work. Having authored influential research articles in the field of volunteering and work motivation, she is considered an expert on what engages volunteer workers.

Patrick Dunlop - Associate Professor, Future of Work Institute

Patrick’s research examines how organizations can attract and identify people who fit the organizations’ values and requirements.

About the Future of Work Institute

The Future of Work Institute (FoWI) promotes productive and meaningful work as essential foundations of a healthy economy and society.FoWI’s researchers focus on how people contribute to and benefit from new knowledge and practices, and their mission is to support thriving people and organisations in the digital age.