Best practice

Tips and tricks to get the most out of ShiftPlanner.

 

Tips and procedures for ShiftPlanner.

 

Getting started

  • Your own domain
    Each account has its own domain and login page, which makes it easy for your volunteers to find and access. https://shiftplanner.org/<accountname>

  • Sending help
    We have a short and concise user guide to help your volunteers get set up. You can copy the links below to share in your communications.
    https:/shiftplanner.org/<accountname>/user-guide
    https://shiftplanner.org/<accountname>/user-guide.pdf

  • Configuration
    You can adjust certain settings, such as the way shifts are transferred or sending reminders. You can check these configuration settings to see if they might be better set for your organisation.

Sending requests

Keep the message short

When sending out requests, don’t overload your message with information. Keep it short and concise. All necessary information is already included in the email and the shorter it is, the more likely your volunteers will read it.

Be selective

It’s best not to send out requests to everyone in your organization as this can lead to a flurry of activity. If, for example, there are 20 open shifts and 100 people get a message about it, several may log in late and wonder why they can’t register. This result in a lot of follow-up questions.

Share the workload

Some organizations require volunteers to complete a minimum number of shifts, which is why we've made it so you can select recipients based on the minimum number of shifts when sending a commitment request. This makes it easier to target the right people and motivate them to fulfil their duty.

Don’t overdo it

Don't send too many messages! Motivated people will register irrespective. If you overload them, they may get into the habit of deleting such messages as soon as they’re delivered.

Motivating volunteers

Exemptions

Volunteers who are ill, abroad or have done more than enough for the organization already can be made exempt from volunteer duty, meaning they no longer receive transfer or commitment requests. To exempt someone, check the Exempt checkbox on the person’s profile.

Registration status

If volunteers must commit to a set number of hours, then we recommend turning on the registration status. This appears as a progress bar under ‘My Page’ and helps to motivate volunteers to register for the minimum number of hours in the default period. Note that the default period can be adjusted via the configuration settings.

Shorter shifts

Keep it as short as possible. People are more willing to work a shorter shift. If you create two three-hour shifts instead of one six-hour shift, you are more likely to find volunteers.

Keep it social!

Volunteer work should be a social occasion. Encourage the groups to spend time with one another by arranging meet-ups at the start of each shift. Note that you may need to have multiple shifts starting at the same time for this to work.