The Cancer Society depends heavily on the dedication and hard work of its volunteers. The organisation recognised an opportunity to strengthen employee's skills in order to enhance the overall volunteer experience. Skillpod was approached by the Cancer Society to develop an online learning module that would help employees understand the value of volunteers and how to enhance their experience.
Skillpod conducted a needs assessment to identify the learning objectives and develop a module that met the Cancer Society's needs. The module was designed to provide an overview of the role of volunteers, the components of a staff/volunteer relationship, the expectations and responsibilities of both staff and volunteers, and how to set volunteers up for success.
Working closely with the Cancer Society, Skillpod developed an online learning module. The module was deployed as compulsory training for new employees and as professional development for existing employees. It included self-paced learning and reflection activities that enabled employees to connect with their role and the vision of the Cancer Society. Skillpod encouraged immediate feedback to improve the learner experience and was able to quickly respond to this feedback as part of our continuous improvement approach.
The Cancer Society was able to upskill employees on a budget while enhancing the overall volunteer experience. The structure of the module enabled geographically diverse teams across the country to engage in the module in a way that best suited the team. In some cases, this was having employees complete the modules individually, and in the instances of smaller teams, completing the module in a facilitated group.
Success was shared across the organisation, with communication skills improving across the organisation and a greater awareness of the volunteer role — especially in those departments and individuals who do not work directly with volunteers. Widespread engagement of the module sparked a series of initiatives, such as volunteer induction checklists, in pursuit of a more rewarding volunteer experience.