Regardless of how your organization recruits volunteers, it is imperative that you establish a stringent screening process. This incredibly effective risk management tool will lend a hand in preventing any unnecessary harm. Furthermore, screening volunteers will allow your organization to select the best person for the position. 

The ultimate goal at the end of the screening process is to answer the following questions: 

1. Does the individual pose a risk of harm to the community members the organization serves?
2. Does the individual pose a risk of harm to staff members, supervisors, and the Board of Directors of the organization? 
3. Does the position pose a risk to the individual applying? 
4. Does the individual understand the responsibilities involved in the position and the expectations of the organization?

Types of Risks:

There are four types of risks that an individual can pose to the organization, the staff, and the community. The screening process established by the organization should identify those risks and eliminate individuals who pose them: 

• Physical Harm: Physical or sexual assault, child abuse, injuries inflicted from the misuse of vehicles and using poor judgement resulting in injury. 
• Emotional Harm: Sexual harassment, racist slurs, religious discrimination, gendered remarks, name calling, and insults about disabilities. 
• Theft or Damage to Property: Stealing money from community members and staff, embezzling funds, vehicle crashes and reckless behavior leading to the destruction of property. 
• Violations of Privacy: Discussing confidential information without permission. 

The use of drugs and/or alcohol may also cause volunteers to inflict harm. The screening process should also address substance abuse issues. 

Screening Guidelines:

The primary rule when developing screening guidelines is that they must be tailored to the position your organization is seeking to fill. Each position requires different skills, interaction with different types of people, and different life experiences. Therefore, your organization must develop multiple guidelines for all the positions available. 

Before beginning to screen individuals, establish a description for the position an assess the risks involved. Identify the core responsibilities, special skills needed, and an idea of the ideal candidate. Then, select the appropriate tools to best assess the individual. 

Regardless of the position, each individual should fill out an application, sit down for an interview with a supervisory staff member, and have his or her references checked. Positions in which the volunteer works closely with children or the elderly or handles funds should have more extensive background checks. 

The best policy your organization can adopt is to exercise extreme caution when screening individuals. If in doubt, conduct additional checks before accepting the individual as a volunteer. If a supervisor notices an alerting red flag during the screening process, do not continue. The main objective is to uncover these red flags and week our individuals who pose a risk.  

 Our team of P&C experts is here to help. If you need assistance with establishing policies for volunteers, please contact us today. 

Used with permission from Zywave, Inc.