Recruiting and Screening Volunteers for Ministry

Extra steps help us in our shared mission to provide the safest environment for minors to flourish.  According to diocesan policies and standards, all brand-new volunteers must be interviewed and have 3 references checked.

1. SEND Compliance Requirements Link to Volunteer

Send the website link listing all of the compliance requirements to the prospective volunteer.  They will fill it out and return it to you, the ministry leader.  The application’s first page is for the prospective volunteer to fill out.  The second page is for you the ministry leader to fill out partially and then turn into the parish office for our record-keeping.  The application asks for basic contact information from the volunteer and for 3 references.  You as the ministry leader must check at least 2 of the 3 references.  Sample reference-check questions are provided in the following steps.  

Link Compliance Requirements

2. CONDUCT an Interview of the Prospective Volunteer

As the Ministry Leader, conduct an interview using questions such as these:

  • Have you worked with youth before?  In what capacities?
  • What do you see as the mission of our ministry/organization?
  • Why are you interested in helping out with this ministry?
  • …..and other ministry-specific questions you believe are pertinent
After completing the interview, record your name, the volunteer’s name, the date of the interview, and any notes/comments in the top portion on the second page of the Volunteer Application.
3. CHECK THE REFERENCES
Sample Questions to ask when Checking References
  • How are you acquainted with this person?
  •  Have you found this person to be responsible and a person of integrity?
  •  Can you speak to the person’s moral character?
  •  Would you feel comfortable leaving your children in the care of this person?
  •  Is there anything that makes you hesitate to endorse this person for volunteer work with children?
  •  Is there anything else you would like to add about him/her?
After checking at least 2 of the 3 references, record the reference’s name and the date you contacted them on the second page of the Volunteer Application.
4. COMPLETE the process and TURN EVERYTHING IN
After the volunteer has filled out the application, you have interviewed them, you have checked the references, and you have recorded that you have done both, return both pages of the application (along with the applicant’s Virtus training certificate, and the signed Acknowledgement Forms for the 2016 Policy and 2016 Standards) to the Virtus Coordinator at the Parish Office.  The parish office will complete the rest of the form.  After all of the compliance requirements have been received by the parish office (background checks, Virtus, Policy, Standards) the office will give the final approval for the applicant to become a volunteer and start volunteering.
The Virtus Coordinator will contact you and notify you that you can now bring the volunteer onboard to begin helping with the  ministry or organization.