Take This Job and Love ItFindings from the PAVR-O 2010 New Decade

Survey of Managers of Volunteers

Benjamin H. Gottlieb, Ph.D., Psychology Department, University of Guelph

Background of Survey and Participants

Who Answered the Survey?• Total number of respondents who manage/coordinate at least 50

volunteers per year on a part-time or full-time basis…………………129

• Gender:

– 120 female, 8 male, 1 did not answer • Age:

– 7 (1%) under 30 years– 27 (21%) from 30-40 years– 47 (36%) from 41-50 years– 46 (36%) from 51-65– 2 (.02%) over 65

Who Answered the Survey?

• Education– 2 completed high school– 22 (17%) with some college/university– 77 (60%) completed college/university– 28 (22%) with postgraduate work

Who Answered the Survey?• Formal training in volunteer management:

-Have you obtained a Volunteer Management Certificate from a College or other post-secondary institution?

70 (54%) - yes59 (46%) -no

-Have you received certification or recertification from PAVR-O or CAVR?

28 (22%) -yes99 (78%) -no

Who Answered the Survey?• Time spent in current position as VM:

-Mean= 6.33 years-Median= 2 years-Minimum= 1 year; maximum= 33 years

• Time spent in past positions as VM:– Mean= 9.22 years– Median= 2 years– Minimum= 1 year ; maximum= 33 years

Who Answered the Survey?• Employment status:

-108 (84%) permanent/full time-17 (13%) permanent/part time-3 contract or casual/full time-1 contract or casual/part time

• Hours of paid work weekly as a Manager of Volunteers:

– Mean= 34.6 hours– Median= 37.5 hours– Minimum= 4 hours– Maximum= 70 hours

Agency Characteristics

Organization’s services:19–meal delivery33–escorted transport23–congregate dining56–friendly visiting17–volunteer hospice visiting61-hospital and other

Number of volunteers managed:Mean= 429Median= 135Minimum= 50Maximum= 5,500

How Much We Love It

Attitudes to Workplace• Pride in Organization:

4 (3%) –not at all proud14 (11%) –somewhat proud12 (9%) –no strong feelings either way49 (38%) –proud50 (39%) –very proudMean= 3.98 (between no strong feelings either way and proud)Median= 3 (no strong feelings either way)

• Overall, organization as an employer is:

24 (19%) –excellent53 (41% –very good42 (33%) –good8 (6%) –not so good1–poor1-missingMean= 2.28 (between good and very good)Median= 2 (very good)

I would strongly recommend my job

to a good friend

I am very satisfied with my current job

My job measures up to the job I had wanted

If I had to decide again, I would take my job

Mean1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

4.24

3.84 4

Job Satisfaction

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Agr

eem

ent

Ratin

gs

It would not be morally right for me to leave this

organization

I would violate a trust if I left my organization now

I think I would feel guilty if I left my organization

now

If I got another job offer, I would not feel it was

right to leave my organi-zation

I would not leave my or-ganization right now,

because I have a sense of obligation to certain

people who work there

Mean1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

2.62.4

2.8

2.32.6 2.5

Normative Commitment

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Agr

eem

ent

Ratin

gs

I really

feel th

at I belong in

this

organiza

tion

I really

feel a

s if t

his org

anization's

problems a

re m

y own

This org

anization has a

great d

eal of p

ersonal m

eaning for m

e

I am pro

ud to belong to

this

organiza

tion

I do not f

eel emotionally

attached to

this

organiza

tion

I do not f

eel like

part of t

he family

at my o

rganiza

tionM

ean1

1.52

2.53

3.54

4.55

3.82.9

3.8 4.13.6 3.6 3.7

Affective Commitment

Survey Item

Ave

rage

Agr

eem

ent

Ratin

gs

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5

2.03 2

Intentions to Leave, Part 1

Survey Items

Av

era

ge

Fre

qu

en

cy R

ati

ng

How likely is it that you will explore career opportuni-ties other than managing volunteers?

How likely is it that you will leave the field of volunteer management in the next year?

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

2.6

2

Intentions to Leave, Part 2

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Lik

elih

ood

Ratin

gs

What’s To Love About It?

I feel c

lose to

my v

olunteers

I feel a

stro

ng sense

of connecti

on to m

y volunteers

My v

olunteers mean a lo

t to m

e

I do not f

eel esp

ecially

fond of m

y volunteers

Mean

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

4 4 4.3 4.4 4.2

Attachment to Volunteers

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Agr

eem

ent

Ratin

gs

My j

ob is a w

ay for m

e to m

ake a co

ntribution to

socie

ty

My j

ob is an exp

ressi

on of values I

hold dear

My j

ob invo

lves w

ork that is

meaningful to

me

My j

ob is an exp

ressi

on of the perso

n I am

My w

ork is

more th

an just

a job to

me; it

is m

ore lik

e a callin

g

My j

ob is about m

aking a positi

ve differe

nce in

others' liv

esM

ean1

1.52

2.53

3.54

4.55

4.3 4.4 4.5 4.33.8

4.5 4.3

Value-Expressive Work

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Agr

eem

ent

Ratin

gs

Organizational Valuing of Volunteer ServicesHow often does your organization/agency:NOTE: 1=Never; 2=Rarely; 3=Sometimes; 4=Often; 5=Always

Compensation: Our Extrinsic Reward

My pay reflects the effort I put into my

work

My pay is appro-priate for the work

I do

My pay reflects what I contribute

to this agency

My pay is justified given my perfor-

mance

I am satisfied with my pay

Mean1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

3 3.03 2.94 2.92 3.05 2.98

Satisfaction with Pay

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Agr

eem

ent R

ating

s

Compensation-Related Responses

• Total annual pay for work as a Manager of Volunteers:-N=109 (21 missing)-Mean= $50,743-Median= $44,500-Min= $10,000-Max= $ 112,000

• Satisfaction with compensation-Pay I receive as a Manager of Volunteers is:16 (8%) –excellent38 (30%) –quite good46 (36%) –reasonable23 (18%) –quite low5 (.04%) –poor1-missing-Mean= 2.71 (between reasonable and quite good)-Median= 2 (quite good)

Compensation-Related Responses

• Compared to volunteer management jobs elsewhere, pay at current organization is:12 (10%) –much less23 (18%) –a little less18 (14%) –about the same26 (21%) –a little more30 (24%) –much more17 (13%) –don’t know

3-missing– Mean= 3.36 (between about the same and a little more)– Median= 2 (a little less)

Compensation-Related Responses

• Compared to what I could earn as a human services worker with my skills and experience, my current pay is:

31(25%) –much less30 (24%) –a little less23 (18%) –about the same19 (15%) –a little more8 (6%) –much more15 (12%) –don’t know3-missingMean= 2.48 (between a little less and about the same)Median= 2 (a little less)

I know that it is outrageous what they pay people in the CSS sector. I sit on a board for a new Community Health Centre and the rest of the Board were shocked at how low the salary grid is over all. If I didn’t love the people that I work with and the difference I see in my volunteers’ lives from being involved I would have changed jobs long ago myself. I think the reason for the salary difference is that the hospitals have made the case to pay what they do solely on the grounds “that hospitals are under funded and we need more money” with their constant hand out. …

They also have the who’s who on their boards, need to keep the OMA happy and play the political games well. The CSS are smaller, grassroots which are more concerned about the service that they provide or fund raising to pay their staff to support volunteers to keep the doors open that they don’t play the game. As a result it has continued the current system. When I had asked then Health Minister George Smitherman at the LHIN priority setting meeting about funding volunteer managers, he stated that they don’t provide health care so are not an essential staff team member. …

Volunteer Managers are not on Ministry approved positions. That is why I am a Community Health Worker. From Smitherman’s comments about Volunteer Managers not providing health care services I have started doing some research of my own.

I had volunteers stating on evaluations and making comments for years about areas of improved health outcomes such as “I smoke less because I am volunteering” which when I followed up is about a carton less per month. Talk about harm reduction!...

Other comments came related to eating healthier, exercising more, reduced isolation, building support networks, greater knowledge of community resources, increased sense of well-being and employment skills. I searched for a tool to measure the social determinants of health that affect volunteers. From that search, I have had some interest in the creation of the tool and found nothing out there. I have made the case that volunteering is a form of health promotion and I have support from the South West Health Promoters Network (a group of Health Promotion staff with Community Health Centres) and our rep from the LHIN.

Love Conquers ALMOST All

I wear too many hats at

work

My workload is too heavy

My organiza-tion makes unrealistic

demands of me

Too much work to do it

well

Too many responsibili-ties at work

Not enough time to get everything

done

Responsible for too many assignments

Other de-mands reduce time I can de-vote to being a Manager of

Volunteers

Too many demands on

top of being a Manager of Volunteers

Mean1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

3.6 3.63.2

3.6 3.4 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.23.5

Job Overload

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Agr

eem

ent R

ating

s

I have felt emo-tionally drained from my work

I have felt used up at the end of the

workday

I have felt tired when I get up in the morning and have to face another day on

the job

I have felt burned out from my job

I have felt strained from working with

people all day

Mean1

2

3

4

5

6

7

3.5 3.73.3

2.8 3.1 3.2

Burnout

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Agr

eem

ent R

ating

s

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5

2.63.5

2.2 2.5 2.7 3.12.5 2.5 2.6

Respect Scale (Co-worker Support)

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Agr

eem

ent

Rati

ngs

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5

3.73

3.8 3.4 3.4 3.5

Cynicism

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Agre

em

en

t R

ati

ng

s

Volunteer Management ProblemsHow much of a problem is each of the following for you as a Manager of Volunteers? (1=Not a problem; 2=A Bit of a Problem; 3=A Moderate Problem; 4=Quite a Problem; 5=A Serious Problem)

Volunteer Management Problems How much of a problem is each of the following for you as a Manager of

Volunteers?

Volunteer Management ProblemsHow much of a problem is each of the following for you as a Manager of

Volunteers?

Dealing with volun-teers' personal

problems

Raising funds (from public and gov-

ernment sources) needed to continue

work with volun-teers

Meeting require-ments associated with the profes-

sionalization of vol-unteer manage-

ment

Having to deal with petty or trivial prob-lems or complaints

from volunteers

Volunteers who can not be relied on to

show up

Working out prob-lems that other

organization staff have with volun-

teers

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

1.61.8 1.9 1.9 2 2

Bottom Five Job Demands

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Deg

ree

of P

robl

em

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5

2.6 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.83.4

Top Job Demands

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Deg

ree

of P

robl

em

What We Need To Nourish Our Love

Managers’ Resource and Skill Needs

Managers’ Resource and Skill Needs (continued)

Match

ing volunteers

to organiza

tion tasks

Developing vo

lunteer reco

gnition events

Writi

ng position/ro

le descriptions f

or volunteers

Recruiting vo

lunteers

Scre

ening and selecti

ng volunteers

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

1.8 1.8 2 2 2

Bottom Resource and Skill Needs

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Res

ourc

e an

d Sk

ill N

eed

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5

2.5 2.5 2.7 2.8 2.8

Top Resource and Skill Needs

Survey Items

Ave

rage

Res

ou

rce

and

Ski

ll N

eed

Reso

urce

s for

trai

ning

oth

er p

aid

orga

niza

tion

staff

abo

ut h

ow

to w

ork

with

vol

unte

ers

Fund

s for

the

trai

ning

and

dev

elop

men

t of v

olun

teer

s

Empl

oyer

-spo

nsor

ed tr

aini

ng a

nd p

rofe

ssio

nal d

evel

opm

ent f

or

the

man

ager

(s) o

f vol

unte

ers

Com

pute

r equ

ipm

ent,

softw

are

and

IT fo

r man

agin

g vo

lunt

eers

Opp

ortu

nitie

s to

men

tor o

r be

men

tore

d by

oth

er m

anag

ers o

f vo

lunt

eers

Info

rmati

on a

bout

liab

ility

, ins

uran

ce, a

nd/o

r oth

er le

gal i

ssue

s

Info

rmati

on a

bout

tren

ds, r

esea

rch

and

stati

stics

abo

ut m

anag-

ing

volu

ntee

rs

Info

rmati

on a

bout

writt

en p

olici

es a

nd jo

b de

scrip

tions

for

volu

ntee

r inv

olve

men

t

Opp

ortu

nitie

s to

netw

ork

with

oth

er m

anag

ers o

f vol

unte

ers

Info

rmati

on a

bout

eth

ics, i

nclu

ding

confl

ict o

f int

eres

t, pr

ivac

y an

d co

nfide

ntial

ity

11.21.41.61.8

22.22.42.62.8

3

2 2 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7

Volunteer Program's Resource Needs

Survey Items

Aver

age

Reso

urce

Nee

d