How to hire a volunteer

How to hire a volunteer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step volunteer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a volunteer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new volunteer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a volunteer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a volunteer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a volunteer that fits the bill.

   This list presents volunteer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Volunteer	Description	Hourly rate
   Volunteer	Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.	$11-19
   Service Aide	A family service aide is a professional social worker who addresses the behavior of clients as well as utilizes crisis intervention techniques in the effort to assist with symptom management and stabilization. Family service aides are required to monitor the progress of clients and prepare reports in preparation for court cases if needed... Show more	$11-18
   Children's Program Coordinator	A children's program coordinator is someone who develops programs for children and toddlers. The children's program coordinator creates child-centered programs to educate and entertain children and infants... Show more	$13-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Child Care
   • Patient Charts
   • Patient Care
   • Front Desk
   • Community Outreach
   • Mathematics
   • Community Services
   • PowerPoint
   • Physical Therapy
   • Emotional Support
   • CPR
   • Windows
   • Ministry
   • Bible

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and manage web presence, including Facebook account and other social media business accounts!
   • Train staff members on managing contacts, scheduling programs, and running analytic reports with the Salesforce program.
   • Lead team-building exercises and facilitate group discussions on leadership topics.
   • Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation where applicable.
   • Supervise and maintain safe play for children's soccer games.
   • Teach GED to refugees and survivors of torture seeking to enroll in college.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your volunteer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A volunteer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, volunteers' average salary in florida is 48% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level volunteers earn 44% less than senior-level volunteers.
   • Certifications. A volunteer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a volunteer's salary.

   Average volunteer salary

   $15.01hourly

   $31,227 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level volunteer salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 6, 2026

4. Writing a volunteer job description

   A volunteer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a volunteer job description:

   Volunteer job description example

   Friendship Public Charter School operates a thriving network of college preparatory public charter schools. Headquartered in Washington, DC. Friendship serves over 4,800 students in preschool to grade 12 and guides a growing network of alumni to college completion annually. Nearly 70% of students are deemed "at-risk" due to family poverty, homelessness or other complex risk factors and 100% of students are deemed eligible for free and reduced lunch due to community poverty. 98% are African American or Latino. The mission of Friendship Public Charter School (FPCS) is to prepare students to become ethical, literate, well-rounded and self-sufficient citizens by providing a world-class education that motivates students to reach high academic standards, to enjoy learning, to achieve success, and to contribute actively to their communities
   
   The FPCS welcomes volunteers of all ages who are willing to dedicate their time and skills to support students, teachers, and administration.
   
   FPCS contracts with a variety of volunteer groups in the District of Columbia, to recruit, screen, train, place and support volunteer academic mentors in the District of Columbia Public Schools. School volunteer programs are designed to provide ongoing support to students in grades K-12 during the school day and beyond. Our partners coordinates tutoring and mentoring programs in literacy, math, enrichment, MCAS preparation, career education, coaching and more.
   If you are a teacher seeking a classroom volunteer, be sure to get the permission of your principal.
   
   + Effective November 1, 2021, all adult employees, contractors, interns, and volunteers working in person in a public, public charter, independent, private, or parochial school in the District of Columbia, and all adult employees, contractors, interns, and volunteers working in person in a child care facility regulated by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, shall have received a full course of a vaccination against COVID-19 unless they have been granted an exemption from such vaccination pursuant to, and are compliant with the requirements of, Section IV of this Order."
   
   External Company URL: www.friendshipschools.org
   
   Street: 1400 1st Street , NW

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find volunteers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your volunteer job on Zippia to find and recruit volunteer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with volunteer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new volunteer

   Once you've decided on a perfect volunteer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new volunteer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a volunteer?