An interview offers a possibility to discuss with the potential volunteer all the requirements needed for the position and for being a part of the organization: • time availability of the volunteer, • needed and provided education, • respect of the organization’s volunteer policies and procedures, • confidentiality rules, • reporting lines for supervision and help, • expected results and accomplishments within the volunteer position, • any other expectations on the side of the organization. During the interview, the interviewer should keep in mind that the volunteer has not accepted the position yet, and should give additional explanations about the purpose of the position and its benefits for the organization and the community. 54
According to Carter McNamara (General Guidelines for Conducting Interviews), there are four types of interviews: 1. Informal, conversational interview 2. General interview guide approach 3. Standardized, open-ended interview 4. Closed, fixed-response interview In the informal, conversational interview, the interviewer does not use predetermined questions much, and is open and adaptable to the flow of the interview. This type of interview is most often used in interviewing potential volunteers. In general interview guide, the interviewer uses predetermined questions with the intention to collect information from the same general areas from all the potential volunteers. As this type of interview still allows a degree of freedom in collecting specific information from the interviewees, it is often used in volunteer management process. In the standardized,