At PlanHero™ we believe happy, productive volunteers are not only a necessity, they allow leadership the space to recruit more volunteers and volunteer leaders for their organizations. So what, exactly, is VSQ? How can you accurately assess, measure, and improve your organization’s VSQ?
VSQ
Volunteer Satisfaction Quotient
There are a lot of buzzwords in the business community surrounding employee engagement KPIs and metrics and their impact on customer satisfaction and ultimately, the company bottom line. Whether it’s NPS (Employee Net Promoter Score), production/profitability, employee health index, Rhythm Usage, vacation days used, GlassDoor ratings, or measuring your customer net promoter score, these tools allow companies to measure employee engagement in an effort to retain their talent.
Why is this important?
For-profit employees are rewarded by their paychecks, of course, but in a transitory workforce that engenders more choice for employees, companies recognize the need to focus on other ways to engage and retain their paid talent. Many, but not all, of the metrics applied to for-profit employees in measuring and improving employee engagement simply don’t apply to the nonprofit volunteer.
Why are volunteers different? We’ve written before about declining volunteerism in America despite the growth of NPOs, and the issues leaders face in retaining and recruiting quality volunteers. We’ve also talked about ways to appreciate your volunteer staff in meaningful ways in an effort to retain those who help keep our nonprofits running. And of course, we try to think ahead about raising the next generation of volunteers and how we can best facilitate a mindset in our children that will lead them to the path of giving back to their communities in some capacity. Simply put, volunteers are unique in that they are in shorter demand, and rely on a different reward system to keep them in place. In other words, there aren’t as many of them, and the paycheck as a primary motivator doesn’t exist. Studies indicate that the rewards that lead to volunteer retention are varied, sometimes nebulous, and often more abstract in nature. Recruiting and retaining quality volunteers is crucial for organizations that rely upon them to not only effectively carry out the organization’s mission, but also because volunteers are more likely to donate to the organization where they give their time and skills. Thus, the need for a clear method of measuring your organization’s volunteer satisfaction quotient becomes critical to successfully executing your mission.
Volunteer Satisfaction Quotient
VSQ places its focus on the volunteers who are in the trenches carrying out the mission of their organization. As an NPO or Volunteer Leader, it is crucial to understand those who are giving service to your organization.
- How satisfied are your volunteers?
- How likely are they to give their best when they aren’t rewarded with a paycheck?
- What rewards facilitate a positive, productive symbiosis between leadership, volunteers, and those whom they serve?
- How can you measure and quantify your organization’s VSQ?
Stay tuned to our blog as we dive into the elements of measuring your organization’s volunteer satisfaction quotient, and the tools needed to ensure you are maximizing one of your most precious resources. Our focus at PlanHero™ is to make organizing your groups and organizations simple and easy so you can focus on what it takes to grow and develop your own mission.
