When should I hire employees and when should I look for volunteers?

Question

What would be a rule of thumb to make this kind of decision or simply share your experience. Thanks.

This is a nonprofit organization.

Which type of roles are better for whom?

How about translating documents? Employee or volunteer?

Answer 1

If you are looking for help performing specific or individual tasks like mailings, packing meals, etc., then you can get by with volunteers.

If you have an actual job that needs to be done full-time that requires training or has a learning curve, and you want that job done consistently, then you need an employee. Also, if the job entails handling confidential information, like donor records, account details, banking information, etc., then the situation calls for an employee, compliant to the company procedures, rather than exposing the data to a series of volunteers.

Answer 2

You should hire someone at least partime when you're busy enough on a day to day basis, to the point of which your turn around time is in danger of upsetting customers. I belive in any business your turn a round time should be under 24 days if your goals is say three days hire when you can no longer maintain seven day. In the meantime for your shipping and drop off tasks call on friends for volunteers, who can make a delivery for you on their way somewhere you need to make a delivery.

Answer 3

ok this is simple look for some voulenteers and then observe them for a while soon it would be easy to hier employes because u know there habits and u can ask your employies to ask and serch for voulenteers