One SCORE: Regional Volunteer Intake and Onboarding Process Readiness Packet
Purpose
This packet is designed to ensure that all chapters are adequately prepared for the transition to the new Regional Volunteer Intake process. It outlines the key changes, necessary steps for implementation, roles and responsibilities, and additional resources to support a smooth transition.
Table of Contents
Detailed Steps of the New Regional Volunteer Intake Process
Readiness Assessment *complete your Chapter's Readiness Assessment by 2/28/25*
Overview of Changes
The Regional Volunteer Intake and Onboarding process has been enhanced, and portions centralized, to streamline how new volunteers are interviewed, trained and onboarded to ensure a more consistent, efficient handling of volunteer applicants and new members across all SCORE chapters.
Key changes include:
- Introduction of a standardized process for background checks, interviews, coaching, and onboarding requirements.
- All accepted applicants will receive the same level of training (Mentor).
- Standardized approach and training for key roles within the Regional Volunteer Intake and Onboarding process
- These include:
- Regional Volunteer Intake Coordinator (paid administrator; 1 per Region)
- Interviewer
- Coach
- Co-Mentor for Provisionals
- These include:
- Streamlined communications among key roles within the intake and onboarding process
- Centralized tracking and reporting on Provisional volunteers’ progress
These improvements are designed to elevate the volunteer experience, enhance satisfaction, and improve retention by delivering a clear, professional, and supportive process from the initial point of contact through their time with SCORE.
Key Objectives
- Consistency: Ensure uniformity in how volunteer applications are reviewed and dispositioned across all SCORE chapters.
- Efficiency: Reduce the time required to onboard new volunteers
- Effectiveness: Enhance the alignment and collaboration among key roles to ensure a seamless and impactful intake and onboarding process, resulting in more engaged and prepared volunteers.
- Quality: Maintaining the acquisition of high quality SCORE volunteers to ensure that we are positioned to continue meeting the needs of our clients both now and in the future.
- Engagement: Improve the volunteer experience from the moment they express interest in joining SCORE, leading to greater volunteer satisfaction and higher retention rates.
Detailed Steps of the New Regional Volunteer Intake Process
For a text version of these steps please see the process documentation on the Support Center.
Roles and Responsibilities
-
Volunteer Applicant:
- Complete the application, intake, and onboarding process, including interviews, background checks, and required training.
- Engage actively with assigned Interviewers, Coach, the Regional Volunteer Intake Coordinator, and resources provided during onboarding.
-
Regional Volunteer Intake Coordinator (Staff):
- Review applications, conduct initial background searches, assign Interviewers, Coach, and Co-Mentors.
- Facilitate the Volunteer journey through the intake and Provisional onboarding period.
- Coordinate and collaborate with key roles (Interviewer, Coach, Co-Mentor, Chair) to provide ongoing guidance and support during the intake and onboarding process.
- Escalate non-compliance or other issues
-
Interviewer (Volunteer):
- The face of SCORE and the first ‘welcome’ from a fellow Volunteer.
- Share what it means to Volunteer with SCORE
- Clearly set expectations of what volunteering with SCORE encompasses
- Ask questions of the applicant to determine relevant experience, expertise, and alignment with SCORE’s mission, vision and values
- Accept or decline an applicant
-
Coach (Volunteer):
- Local Volunteer liaison to Provisional Volunteers prior to their formal introduction to the Chapter
- Support Provisional member throughout the onboarding process
- Coordinate and collaborate with the Regional Volunteer Intake Coordinator, Co-Mentors, to ensure timely completion of all onboarding requirements
- Conduct at least one co-mentoring session with the Provisional (first one preferred)
- Communicate with Chapter Chair on the Provisional Volunteer’s progress and feedback
- Socialize the Provisional with other local Chapter members
- Conduct local Chapter orientation
- Advise VIC when Local Orientation has been completed
-
Co-Mentors for Provisionals (Volunteer):
- Guide and teach Provisional volunteers how to conduct sessions with new or existing clients and meet their needs through the use of SLATE
- Model other mentoring best practices throughout the client session
-
Apply and carry out the steps outlined in the co-mentoring process.
-
Chapter Chair:
- Maintain awareness of new Provisional Volunteers within the chapter
- Welcome new Provisional to SCORE
- Can serve as an Interviewer, Coach or Co-Mentor
- Review weekly Provisional report for follow-up with chapter Coaches, Co-Mentors, and RVIC if necessary
- Introduce newly Active mentor to chapter at monthly meeting or similar
- Ongoing chapter leadership activities
-
Regional Operations Coordinator (ROC; Staff):
- Oversight and coaching of Regional Volunteer Intake Coordinator(s)
- Provide actionable and informative reporting to Volunteer Leaders
- Regular updates on Provisionals’ progress throughout the onboarding process
- Escalation point for specific questions or issues that arise
- Examples
-
Any challenges, concerns, or roadblocks will be flagged (initially by RVIC) and escalated to the ROC
- i.e., Circumventing the process
- ROC investigates to determine root of the issue then escalates as needed to Director of Field Operations
-
Any challenges, concerns, or roadblocks will be flagged (initially by RVIC) and escalated to the ROC
- Examples
Resources and Tools
Training
-
Informational Sessions (via monthly Regional Update Calls): Chapter leaders and those currently serving or interested in serving as related roles will receive information on what is changing and what will remain the same as it relates to each of the key roles within the process
- Regional Volunteer Intake Coordinator
- Interviewer
- Coach
- Co-Mentor for Provisionals
- Chapter Leaders
-
E-Learning modules in SCORE’s Learning Management System:
- Training modules for key roles will be integrated into the Learning Management System accessible via Engage to automate the tracking of available resources in each role for easier assignment.
- The modules will be required for those serving in these roles. Each module will take about 7 minutes to complete.
Support
-
Interviewer Toolkit
- Includes updated values based Interview Guide
- Coach Toolkit
- Updated How To Guides and Knowledgebase Articles via the Support Center.
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ongoing Change Assistance Network:
- Step 1: Review information and documentation available on the Support Center
- Step 2: Discuss any questions your concerns with your Regional Vice President
- Step 3: Email VICProcess@scorevolunteer.org
Timeline and Milestones
- January: Read and familiarize yourselves with information within this packet
- February: Complete the Readiness Assessment
- Beginning in February: Attend Monthly Regional Update calls where more information on key topics will be shared and your questions can be answered
-
June: Plan to log in and complete E-learning training modules for key roles
- Interviewer
- Coach
- Co-Mentor for Provisionals
- July: VIC Process launches
- Post launch: Leverage available support resources as needed
Frequently Asked Questions
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is a dynamic resource designed to address common inquiries and provide clarity on key topics and scenarios. As a living document, it is regularly updated to reflect new information, changes, and feedback, ensuring its content remains accurate and relevant. Users are encouraged to reference the FAQ regularly for the latest insights and updates.
FAQs - Regional Volunteer Intake and Onboarding Process
Readiness Assessment
Regional Volunteer Intake and Onboarding Process
What is it? A tool to help ensure that your chapter is well-prepared for a successful transition to the new One SCORE processes.
Why is it important? Help identify your chapter’s current capabilities, readiness levels, and areas where additional support may be needed.
How will it benefit my chapter? Your responses will play a key role in shaping the resources, training, and guidance that will be offered to support your chapter during this important shift.
Click here to complete your Chapter’s Readiness Assessment
Due by 2/28/2025.
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Advice From a Pilot "Captain"
Words of wisdom from Mid-Atlantic Regional Vice President - Ed Coleman
- Getting Provisional volunteers “in flux” cleaned up pre-One SCORE process is a must for a successful transition to One SCORE. Going into the transition, clean up the Provisional Roster. With few exceptions, incomplete over 90 days should be dropped.
- Recruiting Coaches is a major point of emphasis and a critical success factor to effective onboarding.
- Having an active list of Co-Mentors, to facilitate onboarding, is critical to the VIC process.
- As a Provisional goes through the process, monitor their progress against SCORE values and expectations for commitment and client service. Encourage the Provisionals that align and address and drop those that are not likely to be successful. In the One SCORE process, the Chapter Chair has the final say on moving a Provisional to Certified Mentor. The Chapter Chair and/or the Coach can stop the process of moving a Provisional through the process, at any time.
“Bottom Line – One SCORE works.”
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