Recruiting and retaining volunteers in a quasi -military organization

The New Jersey Naval Militia Joint Command (NJNMJC) is a nonprofit, all-volunteer command responsible to the state of New Jersey and the New Jersey National Guard. Like other quasi-military commands, it faces a growing problem recruiting and retaining volunteers. This qualitative case study investigated quasi-military volunteerism and the research question: What impact do the volunteer's goals have on recruitment, assessment, and retention process? The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess attitudes of members from one battalion of the NJNMJC. Participants (N=120) completed the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI), a 48-item Likert questionnaire that assesses motivations for volunteering. Interviews took place with a randomly selected subset of participants (n=10).;The resulting interview comments mirrored attitudes that surfaced on the VFI. Participants indicated that the NJNMJC recruiting program did too little to match skills with needs, placement was often delayed, and the assessment process was flawed. Participants also revealed that they volunteered with the NJNMJC because it reflected their values and because they wanted to do meaningful work. Participants' previous volunteer experience affected their perception of service with the NJNMJC.;This study demonstrates how administrative resistance to change can undermine the motivations and aspirations of volunteers and promote negative thinking and dissention. More broadly, the results enrich and extend what is known about the psychology and sociology of volunteerism. Managers within the NJNMJC can use this study to develop customized forms to help them recruit, assess, and place volunteers; more carefully match skills with placement; and regularize awards and recognition.