From Volunteer to Payroll

Being a volunteer can lead to permanent employment. Can? It does, most of the time.

A company finally announces it has a vacant post. Job-seekers update their profiles and e-mail them. A few are short-listed and get a call to come for interviews. One of them volunteers in the company on a regular basis. She is likely to get the job for 2 reasons.

1. The company created the position for her because they feel she is ‘a perfect fit.’

2. Potential employers need at least 3 people who can testify that you are a great guy who is human-user-friendly, if we can put it that way. The volunteer already has internal decision makers who can vouch for her.

She will get the job because whether it’s a Canadian grocery chain or road construction, the workplace is an extension of home. People must get along. Husband and wife now have kids, but the love that brought them together is on low. They overlook that for the sake of the kids and bills.

Same thing with the workplace. Business degrees or psychology diplomas are important, but the human-user-friendly overrides them. Work is home away from home.

Volunteers get permanent jobs because they are already family members. They know the language including jokes and office culture. They know how to ‘manage’ different in-house personalities.

Companies feel hiring volunteers eliminates the element of surprise. They know the kind of family members they are adopting.  

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.