Onboarding volunteers: for commissioners and their teams
A handy guide to onboarding for commissioners or other volunteers involved in recruitment
As a commissioner or volunteer involved in recruitment, you have an important role to play in welcoming new volunteers.
We know that first impressions matter, so here's some guidance to help you onboard new volunteers and give them the best welcome possible.
You don’t need to follow every step. Every area is different – what matters most is that your new volunteers feel welcomed and supported.
How you make initial contact and keep in touch is up to you and your volunteer. You can email, text, phone, have an in-person session, or use a messaging app.
Getting in touch
1. I've found their volunteer enquiry on GO
This process starts with finding their enquiry using our membership system, GO. When a new volunteer submits an enquiry, the level main contact for your area will receive a GO communication.
All volunteers with recruiter permissions on GO can manage enquiries for their level and below. You can also pass an enquiry on to your county team in a couple of clicks using the ‘refer to county’ action in the volunteer enquiries area on GO.
The resources below will help you use GO to get in touch with your new volunteer and move them through the enquiry process.
- Step-by-step guide for managing volunteer enquiries on GO (PDF, 1.2MB)
- Our webpage on using GO for volunteers.
- Or watch the video below on how to manage volunteer enquiries on GO.
2. I've contacted the new volunteer using the 321 approach
We recommend that you get in touch within 7 days using the 321 approach (explained below), so new volunteers can get stuck into guiding as soon as possible.
Remember you should mark them as contacted on GO as soon as you’ve made the first attempt – you don’t need to wait for them to respond.
To encourage enquirers to get back in touch and keep your local enquiry lists up-to-date, we recommend using the 321 approach.
3 attempts at making contact
Mark them as contacted on GO as soon as you’ve made the first attempt. If they don’t reply, try again on 2 more occasions.
2 different ways of communication
Use a different method of contact to the initial attempt - text, call, email or more.
1 warm welcome or warm goodbye
However they respond (or if they don't), make it warm. If you’ve tried the above and they haven’t responded, send them a final message and use the ‘decided not to join’ action in GO.
Message templates
If you’re planning on getting in touch by email or text message, we've created some templates that you can copy and paste. Edit them with relevant details that might be useful for a volunteer looking to join your area – they can be fully personalised to whatever your needs are.
If email, subject: Volunteering in Girlguiding [area]!
Hi [name],
Thanks for signing up to volunteer with Girlguiding. I’m [your name], a [your role] in [area], and I’m here to help you get started. I’ll be your point of contact going forward.
We’ve got local groups (called units) you could support (If you’re interested in volunteering at a specific unit, I’ll put you in touch with your local unit volunteer to arrange a visit to a meeting with the girls):
• [unit + age group + day/time + place + any other useful information]
• [unit + age group + day/time + place + any other useful information]
Do you have an interest in a particular kind of role, or are you just keen to try out a local unit and see? There are also behind‑the‑scenes roles (like admin, finance or helping out with socials) if those would suit you better. I’m happy to chat on the phone about the different options and how you’d like to get involved.
Thanks, [your name]
If email, subject: Volunteering in Girlguiding [area name]!
Hi [name],
Thanks for applying for [role/opportunity] with [unit/area]. I’m [your name], a [your role] in [area], and I’ll guide you through the next steps.
If it’s a unit role: The group you've applied to volunteer with (called a unit) meets on [day/time]. When could you visit to try out volunteering? I’ll share the contact details of the unit team with you.
If it’s a behind-the-scenes role: When would you be free for a quick call, or would you rather meet in person, so I can share more and introduce you to the team?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Thanks, [your name]
If email, subject: Checking in about your Girlguiding enquiry
Hi [name], just checking in.
I wanted to see if you’re still interested in volunteering with Girlguiding. No worries if things have been busy!
If you could let me know either way, that would be great. If I don’t hear back soon, I may need to close your enquiry, though you can always come back in future.
If you’d like to chat anything through about the opportunities I shared, you can reach me on [phone number/email].
Thanks so much! [your name]
If email, subject: An update on your Girlguiding enquiry
Hi [name],
As I haven’t heard back, I’ll close your volunteering enquiry for now.
If you’d like to join Girlguiding in future, we’d love to hear from you!
Thanks, [your name]
Once the volunteer has responded
1. I've invited them to a warm welcome or induction session
Your local area, country or region might run warm welcome or induction sessions for volunteers, which you can share.
Why not include printed resources about the impact of Girlguiding on your CV (PDF, 150KB) or how it can develop your life skills (PDF, 57KB)?
2. I’ve introduced them to the opportunities available and helped them decide on a suitable role to try out
If the volunteer you’re speaking to isn’t sure what they’d like to do, use this information on ways of volunteering to discuss how they can get involved.
Let them know they can volunteer flexibly and commit as much or as little as they’d like to. We have guidance on how flexible volunteering can work at a unit level or in your wider area.
Under certain conditions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a new volunteer can visit a unit up to 4 times under supervision before they start their checks.
In Scotland, they can attend up to 4 unit meetings as an observer, but they must not get directly involved.
You could also share useful links to:
- Any upcoming local events or in-person training sessions.
- Social media groups online that might be useful for connecting with others.
- Local (district, division, or county) social media pages or area websites.
- If you have any local text broadcast groups (such as WhatsApp), you can invite them to these.
- Share national and any local guidance on how to claim expenses, as volunteers should never be out of pocket.
- If your area assigns buddies, you can share the contact details of the buddy with them.
3. I’ve put them in touch with a local contact for a unit visit
If you’re welcoming a volunteer into a unit role, it's recommended to support them by putting them in touch with local volunteers. If you’re welcoming someone into a non‑unit role, you might also want to introduce them to the local team.
Use the message template below in emails or texts to help you reach out to your local volunteers – you can personalise it to suit your area.
If email, subject: New volunteer interested in visiting your unit
Hi [name], just a quick update!
A new volunteer, [new volunteer name, email or phone number], is interested in visiting your unit for a taster session. I’ve shared their contact details so you’re able to get in touch with them.
Please make sure they’re supervised at all times and not left alone with girls until they’ve completed safer guiding training, disclosure checks and references.
[If they mentioned any support needs] Here’s our guidance on making adjustments.
Thanks so much for welcoming them and let me know if you need any support!
[Your name]
4. I’ve checked in with them after trying out volunteering
If your new volunteer has been to a unit visit or tried out a new role, check in with them by using and editing this template.
If email, subject: How was your visit with [unit/role name]?
Hi [name], hope you’re well!
I wanted to check in and see how it went with [unit/role]. I’d love to hear how you found it, and I hope you felt welcomed and got a good sense of what volunteering with Girlguiding is like.
No pressure to decide anything yet — you’re welcome to visit up to 4 times before doing a disclosure check. Let me know what you’re thinking, if you’d like to explore any other roles, or if you have any questions!
Thanks so much, [your name]
Once they’ve confirmed their chosen volunteer role
1. I've let them know about the required recruitment checks and training, and confirmed their chosen volunteer role on GO
Once you’ve confirmed their chosen volunteer role in GO, this will let them begin any checks or training they need. They’ll also then receive emails from us with information on what they need to do and how.
Before you add their role, it’s a good idea to speak to them about what to expect.
All roles require:
- Reference checks.
- Safer guiding training – either safer guiding or safer guiding basics.
Some roles require:
- Disclosure check.
You can find out what checks and training are required for specific roles using the role requirements table.
This volunteer journey poster (PDF, 988KB) is also a great resource to help guide this conversation. If you’re unsure about any of the steps, see our webpages on:
- Safer guiding training and disclosure checks.
- Our recruitment and vetting policy and procedure - there are some handy flowcharts (PDF, 48KB) to help you understand the reference and disclosure process.
2. I’ve checked in and offered support with next steps
It’s a good idea to check back in with your volunteer to see where they’re at and whether they need any support.
You can see a volunteer’s status or check who needs to complete safer guiding on the safer guiding tab in GO. 40 days after you added their role to GO, they’ll receive reminder emails to complete their safer guiding and disclosure check.
Need help with GO?
The following GO help files have more information on how to:
Supporting volunteers logging into GO
New volunteers need to set up their own personal GO account, using the email they registered with, to begin checks and their safer guiding.
Once you’ve confirmed their role in GO, they’ll receive an email with instructions, and you can also use this page on using GO for volunteers.
After they become active
1. I've welcomed them to their new role!
Once your new volunteer has completed all their checks and training, their role will automatically become active on GO, and they’ll appear on the Volunteer Roles tab.
The system will send them an automatic email, but it’s a good idea to send a short personal message congratulating them and letting them know your support doesn’t stop there – they can be in touch whenever they need it!
Use the template below in emails, texts or even a phone call, and personalise it to suit you.
If email, subject: Welcome to your new Girlguiding role!
Hi [name], great news!
Your Girlguiding role is now active, welcome to the team! We’re so glad to have you in [area/unit]. Thank you for completing your checks and training and choosing to volunteer with us.
If you need anything as you get started or want to find out more about anything, I’m always here to help.
All the best,
[Your name]
