Staffing Policies

Volunteers play an integral role in ensuring that non-profit organizations realize their
strategic goals. The major challenge in the case study relates to poor staffing policy. A large
number of workers are volunteers working under stressful conditions resulting in a significant
turnover. It is vital to develop a staffing policy that will ensure a large number of volunteers
regularly work to guarantee consistency in the provision of services to homeless people.
However, there are benefits as well as risks associated with attempting to make a “big splash” in
developing a new strategic policy.
The benefits of making a big splash include quick delivery of services. The big splash
will entail the organization recruiting a large number of employees on regular pay. The
availability of paid-workers will ensure consistent provision of services to interested parties. It
will also relieve current workers of the burnout problem and motivate the new workforce as they
share roles. Recruiting more employees rather than volunteers will be based on the skills-set and
competencies of applicants consistent with the needs of the organization. Such recruitment
policies are likely to be aligned with the overall mission of the organization. However, making a
big splash also carries significant risks.
Traditionally, ex-homeless volunteers form the most significant percentage of workforce
for the organization. Recruiting a new set of employees to fill the gap will cost the organization
considerably. Since most non-profitable organizations rely on donations from the public, tying a
large percentage of the income to employee costs in the form of salaries and remuneration may
jeopardize other core activities of the organization. Furthermore, ex-homeless volunteers have a

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history of loyalty with the organization. Dismissing them from the organization may result in
emotional distress to the homeless people with whom they have built lasting relationships.
The advisory board recommends training for new volunteers. The new policy requiring
training will ensure that the organization complies with the expected legislation. However,
committing some of the current volunteers to training is likely to impose additional pressure on
the few available volunteers to shoulder the burden of delivering services to interested persons.
The preferences of the advisory board suggest that the new policy must promote a consistent
volunteer base where the organization treats volunteers with respect so that it motivates them to
stay loyal to the establishment.
The implication of the new policy is to focus on four critical elements- impact, growth,
reward, and flexibility. Impact refers to ensuring that volunteers recognize the impact they are
having on the organization as an integral aspect of inspiring them to work more. Growth entails
empowering volunteers with new skill sets to respond to their roles through training.
Additionally, the new policy will include rewarding volunteers for any special target they
achieve. Lastly, the new policy should allow for flexibility in the volunteering service.
Stakeholder interests are primarily short-term solutions that would see the organization
have more workers. However, the advisory board considers long-term solutions that will comply
with current and future regulatory requirements. Stakeholders can narrow their differences
through inter-party engagement. Collaboration as a conflict resolution mechanism allows for the
exchange of opinion and ceding ground to accommodate competing ideas.
Every organization must treat its most loyal workers with respect and build loyalty for the
long-term good. The establishment of a new policy should protect the interests of the existing

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volunteers as cornerstones for the continued provision of quality services. It must also aim at
supporting the mission of the organization while responding to the interests of stakeholders.