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Select Board seeks faster, broader volunteer recruitment and streamlined onboarding
Summary
The Select Board discussed improvements to volunteer recruitment and onboarding, directing staff to circulate a recruitment note to boards and committees and asking for a working process to shorten delays and expand outreach to underrepresented groups.
The Select Board discussed a plan to work with the Volunteer Coordinating Committee to improve recruitment, orientation and reappointment processes for town boards and committees.
Board members said some current barriers include long lag times between expressing interest and formal appointment, uneven outreach to underrepresented populations, and inconsistent onboarding across committees. Suggestions included creating a clearer, centralized electronic application (with a QR code for events), encouraging committee chairs and current members to recruit actively, offering a lower-bar associate role in some committees, and developing short orientation materials for new volunteers.
Jim (Select Board) and other members asked staff to circulate a draft recruitment notice to board and committee chairs and to begin outreach before the Volunteer Coordinating Committee's next meeting (noted in the packet as November 13). The board discussed using best practices from other communities and possibly seeking low-cost consultant support to improve committee functioning and onboarding.
No final policy change was adopted at the meeting. Board members requested staff compile candidate suggestions, clean up the online application links, and consider a QR code for event-based recruitment. The Select Board asked staff to send the recruitment note and to continue developing options for associateships and faster appointment pathways.
