View Full Version : Another idea bites the dust.
Who was it that was complaining about the huge rigmarole about applying to be a volunteer? Or was it adopting a dog? Or both?
I'm trying to get out of my house and my comfort zone and do some new things. I decided I'd volunteer to bring library books to people who are housebound, as described on the library site. It's only once a month and that seemed a relatively low stress and easy thing to do, which is important for me, as I'm easily stressed.
I talked myself into making a phone call to the city's volunteer services. I absolutely detest phone calls.
The phone call was okay, but when I was directed to the online application, there was a part I hadn't noticed before. In addition to a whole bunch of questions, they want 2 references. Okay, sort of. At least it's understandable.
But then the instructions were to also submit 2 reference forms with your application.
Here is the form they expect my references to fill out:
http://winnipeg.ca/cms/volunteers/pdfs/volunteer_reference_form.pdf
If you don't want to click that or it doesn't work, here is the list of questions:
How long have you known this applicant and in what capacity?
How much contact do you currently have with this applicant?
What would you say are the applicant’s best qualities, characteristics, and or strengths?
Describe how the applicant gets along with people. Examples may include relationships with
family, friends, teachers and or colleagues.
Does the applicant follow through with commitments he/she undertakes
(E.g. punctuality, flexibility, responsibility)?
Do you feel the applicant would be suited to working with children or other vulnerable people? If
yes, please explain. If no, please explain.
Please provide an example of a time when the applicant used effective communications skills to
achieve a goal or complete a task successfully.
How would you describe the applicant’s ability to interact with people from a variety of
backgrounds and communities?
Please provide an example of a time when the applicant was a member of a team. Briefly
describe the situation and explain his/her role on that team.
Please comment on the applicant’s ability to follow directions.
Please provide an example of a time when the applicant demonstrated his/her initiative to
achieve a goal or complete a task effectively.
What??? Seriously, there's no way I'm asking any friend of mine to do a survey of that level of detail. If it was just me, fine, I'd fill it out. But not ask other people.
The majority of my job interviews haven't asked that many questions. My references for actual jobs haven't had to deal with anything similar. It shouldn't be that much easier to be a reference for a passport application, than to volunteer with the library. Just crazy. Sorry, library and city of Winnipeg, no volunteering for you. I'll find something else that isn't as complicated.
Wow, I don't ask that level of questions of the people who are references for my staff. I ask questions and then if some things don't apply I skip those, this is the type of questions I may ask for an annual review or a serious promotion opportunity. Whew, I am sorry this is so hard. It seems so many things end up designed to keep us out of activities that are positive and encouraging in some ways.
fidgiegirl
7-23-13, 7:05pm
Who was it that was complaining about the huge rigmarole about applying to be a volunteer? Or was it adopting a dog? Or both?
We've had threads about both. Pretty sad, because I believe the over-zealousness is usually in response to some degree of crappy situation the org has faced. But ultimately, it has the effect of driving people away.
I am sorry you are facing this. Persevere in finding a good fit. I finally found a volunteer opportunity that is (most importantly) meaningful to others, but is also richly rewarding for me AND meets my own schedule/emotional/etc. needs. And it was no harder to get involved than being willing to step up and commit. I believe those opportunities are out there. Keep your eyes open . . . glad you checked in.
Maybe the library staff is trying to discourage volunteers to keep their jobs? It is an issue here.
To be a volunteer with the library, I need to have an in-depth police check which is similar to these questions that you have posted. Remember that volunteers, once approved, can go into homes, handle money, represent the library to the public etc.
If you were housebound, would you not want to be sure that the person coming in is, in fact, who s/he says that s/he is? Can you imagine the insurance liability if the library/volunteer organization was found to be negligent.
Take the questions in your stride as a norm, nothing more or less.
To be a volunteer with the library, I need to have an in-depth police check which is similar to these questions that you have posted. Remember that volunteers, once approved, can go into homes, handle money, represent the library to the public etc.
If you were housebound, would you not want to be sure that the person coming in is, in fact, who s/he says that s/he is? Can you imagine the insurance liability if the library/volunteer organization was found to be negligent.
Take the questions in your stride as a norm, nothing more or less.
I understand the concern. And I'm personally fine with the criminal record check, even paying for it myself. I'm fine with answering any and all questions that might be relevant to the position I am looking for. What I'm not comfortable with is asking other people, who would benefit in no way themselves, to fill out that level of detailed form, especially as the very first step in the process. I don't even know if they currently need volunteers for that position and my area of the city.
I think it would make much more sense for me to apply, do the interview, get the criminal record check, have them know what position I actually want to volunteer for, and THEN if that all checks out, they could contact my references and ask some questions. References are usually (and should be) the last step, not the first, IMO.
If I was planning to steal stuff from these people's homes, I would just pay an accomplice to write a glowing recommendation about me and then we'd share the money from the stealing. A letter is the most easily forged document. I could tell my references exactly what to say about me, if I wanted to. I see less security for them with this policy, not more.
I understand that it's just a bureaucracy thing, that all city departments need to have the exact same application process for all volunteer positions, but I think it's still ridiculous. I'll find another organization that has more reasonable expectations.
We've had threads about both. Pretty sad, because I believe the over-zealousness is usually in response to some degree of crappy situation the org has faced. But ultimately, it has the effect of driving people away.
I am sorry you are facing this. Persevere in finding a good fit. I finally found a volunteer opportunity that is (most importantly) meaningful to others, but is also richly rewarding for me AND meets my own schedule/emotional/etc. needs. And it was no harder to get involved than being willing to step up and commit. I believe those opportunities are out there. Keep your eyes open . . . glad you checked in.
Thanks. I have another idea I'm going to look into, which is probably more up my alley anyhow.
Maybe the library staff is trying to discourage volunteers to keep their jobs? It is an issue here.
Yes, I could see that. I rarely see volunteers within the actual libraries here. But I'm just applying to drop off some books once a month. I doubt the staff want that job. The weird paperwork is just a city thing, not a library specific thing.
It was me complaining about the huge hurdles to volunteer. This particular organization complains constantly that they need volunteers to weed their herb garden, but when I tried to volunteer, I was told I had to fill in this invasive 5 page application before someone would even TALK to me. I might have filled it out, if the volunteer coordinator had talked to me, got me enthusiastic about the job and explained why it was necessary to ask such invasive questions. They wanted recommendations from my boss, and all kinds of background info on education, where else I volunteer, yada yada yada to WEED THE GARDEN. Which I would have been doing on a day they are /closed to the public/. The volunteer application was more burdensome than any I've ever had to fill out for /employment/.
Blackdog Lin
7-23-13, 8:03pm
This makes me laugh (though I am sorry Kestra that it didn't work out as you'd hoped). I volunteer 2 mornings a week doing construction work in the building my very small town is turning into a community center. I filled out NO paperwork. None. The only criteria from my first day "on the job" was pretty much "are you breathing?" and "you were able to walk in the door, right?"
This makes me laugh (though I am sorry Kestra that it didn't work out as you'd hoped). I volunteer 2 mornings a week doing construction work in the building my very small town is turning into a community center. I filled out NO paperwork. None. The only criteria from my first day "on the job" was pretty much "are you breathing?" and "you were able to walk in the door, right?"
I helped on a very similar project in a different very small town where I grew up. The mayor, who was the only city official, decreed that no attorneys could volunteer (not that any actually lived there). In the absence of anyone to consider issues of liability it seems no one did and the project was a smashing success. Hmmm...
One good thing about affiliation with a church is often they'll jump on any volunteer offer you make and there is rarely any red tape.
Hubby volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and group that builds ramps and the only paperwork was a signature on a liability form.
Not all groups have the excessive info problem.
That is amazing. I have had several criminal background checks over the years because of the work I do, but even volunteering to teach art at a correctional facility did not have anything like this attached to gaining acceptance into the program.
I am fully supportive of vetting people where the public safety is concerned, and the library gig qualifies for that, but I volunteer at a library and no one asked me anything that did not apply directly to the work I wanted to do for them.
If you want to be involved with some place or program, you pretty much have to go through the process they prefer. Or, as you have chosen, walk away and find something more suited to you, something that makes more sense.
Since this is a governmental agency, at first I thought that someone had mistakenly given you the paperwork for applying to be governor or state representative or something, but then I came to my senses and realized that if any of the ones I know had to complete that paperwork they never would have gained office.
If you still are interested in the work I would ask your referees to submit their contact information on the form and something to the effect of "I would be happy to discuss any of the following questions with you over the phone if you feel Kestra is a good candidate for this volunteer position."
Then the library gets its form to tick off the checklist, but the referee doesn't have to spend hours answering all those questions.
Maybe they will not go for it, but worth a try if you think the position would be a positive experience.
You could also simply answer all the questions, have your reference folks read the answers, and signify they concur.
Public libraries have a responsibility to keep their patrons safe. I suspect that is behind the onerous screening process. Good luck!
Gardenarian
7-24-13, 1:18pm
You could also simply answer all the questions, have your reference folks read the answers, and signify they concur.
This is exactly what I was going to write! The form seems totally over the top, but I get it.
There is a saying in libraries - "volunteers are not free." Volunteers (often) need a lot of training and oversight and libraries have learned that while people like the idea of volunteering, they seldom last long. They also have to keep the city attorney happy.
I have found smaller scaled local non-governmental orgs are much easier to work with in this capacity. Find one without a lot of attorneys hanging around looking for something to do. Then it becomes, "Do you want t so the job? Are you able? Lemme show you the ropes."
As my NYC Niece's cat (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Merry/139559766114924) would say, forms are for dogs and other chumps.
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