Interviewing volunteer applicants using role playing
Abstract
The traditional methods of asking interview questions do not always accurately assess the abilities of potential volunteers. This effective practice from Steve McCurley, publishing editor of e-Volunteerism newsletter, and experienced trainer in the field of effective volunteer involvement, explains the pitfalls of traditional interviewing techniques, discusses the development of good volunteer interview questions, and describes volunteering interview scenarios using role playing. This information was included in materials distributed by the National Service Leadership Institute at the National Senior Service Corps Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 2002. For more information, see Utilizing Role Playing Scenarios in Volunteer Interviewing .Issue
Traditional ways of interviewing sometimes fall short of providing a complete picture of the potential applicant.
Action
According to Steve McCurley, in evaluating the qualifications of potential volunteers with role playing interviews, take the following steps:
Develop good volunteer interview questions.
These "exploratory" questions should be general enough so that the volunteer will do most of the talking.
Incorporate role-play scenarios.
Develop a scenario situation which relates to the volunteer job to be undertaken
Ask the question in a traditional manner first, then turn it into a role play situation, which means consistently staying in character and expecting the applicant to do so as well.
Prepare to take the role play even further by constructing a scenario that has several levels, each with additional facets.
Context
Acceptance of an inappropriate volunteer can have dire consequences for those programs in which volunteers will be
- Matched one-on-one with clients in a counseling or a helping relationship
- Undertaking managerial or leadership duties which require autonomy and independent action
- Dealing with complex issues which require a substantial training investment on the part of the agency
Citation
McCurley, Steve. Utilizing Role Playing Scenarios in Volunteer Interviewing. The Grapevine, November/December 1994.Outcome
Placing a potential volunteer in a role play situation is much more revealing than other types of inquiries, including even the broadest open-ended questions.
Advantages include:
The more fluid the situation of the role play allows the interviewer to see how the potential volunteer thinks, with a view of their assumptions and reactions. This information will often be revealed without the volunteer realizing that they are showing you. This makes it much more difficult for the volunteer to "guess" the correct answer.
You can also "see" how well the volunteer actually handles the situation, not just how well they talk about it. You can thus better judge interpersonal skills and style.
The use of the role play scenario does not stop at the interviewing stage. Role play scenarios make excellent training tools, and you might not want to disqualify a volunteer on their performance as much as make notes about areas that need to be addressed during orientation or additional skill training that will be needed before the volunteer can start work.
Posted On
August 7, 2002For More Information
Resources
The source document includes a worksheet for developing a role play interview scenario.Source Documents
Related Practices
Related sites
National Service Leadership Institute