Screening Volunteers: How to Identify Unsuitable Candidates Without Being Intrusive

I was wondering if anyone has experience dealing with volunteers who arrive on-site and turn out to be suffering from a mental illness.

We recently had a case where the host communicated extensively with a volunteer via WhatsApp before their arrival, and everything seemed fine. However, when the volunteer arrived, it quickly became clear that they were unable to take care of themselves—barely eating, surviving on coffee, and struggling to communicate. They appeared very lonely and depressed, with little self-respect or consideration for their lodgings.

Although their work was satisfactory, the state in which they left their accommodation was completely unacceptable. The place required deep cleaning, as it was covered in mud from top to bottom. Washing up was left in the sink, coffee was spilled all over the floor, soft furnishings were scattered on the floor, mud was tracked up the stairs, and the bathroom was filthy.

This volunteer was clearly not a suitable candidate and seemed to need professional help rather than a volunteer placement. I’m wondering how others go about identifying such cases in advance—how do you screen or pre-vet volunteers without being too intrusive?

I'm so sorry to learn about your less-than-ideal experience with your volunteer.

Is it possible to have an evaluation conversation on the third day or so - nothing formal, but something you as hosts do just as a moment of gathering feedback, checking in on the volunteer and feeling if the volunteer indeed is a good match for your place, also in real life?

And if things feel a bit off, communicate you don't think you are a fit/match and politely ask them to leave within x amount of days?
I can imagine being strict is tough, but to safeguard your own place and space, and to (hopefully) bump the other out of their this-is-the-way-I-always-do-me-slumber it is probably necessary.

I can't speak from own experience about dealing with a situation like you described, but this is how I'd imagine it could be done.

Good luck!

Welcome to the forum.

I have dealt with a lot of volunteers.  It always turns out that asking lots of questions helps.

Some seem really great over the phone, spend one night and leave the next morning.

I am sorry that this person didn't work out.

Have you tried getting person/business recommendations?

Shay, welcome to permies.
If you would like a chuckle (if not any actual, meaningful help, I`m afraid), may I direct your attention to a thread in which many of us who worked with volunteers shared our stories.
I had a great job working with volunteers, but there were plenty of times I wondered just how long my own mental health was going to last...
https://permies.com/t/63795/Volunteers-Hmm

I am curious, can you tell me a little about what Help Stay is?

Asking for and checking references could be helpful, if you're not doing that already.  

Are there sites that connect volunteers with farms? Perhaps they have ratings / feedback for both parties.

Thank you all for your replies—they’ve been incredibly helpful.

Just a little about me, as I didn’t mention it earlier: I run HelpStay.com, a platform similar to WWOOF but not limited to organic farm placements. My question was in relation to an experience one of our hosts had.

Currently, we advise all our hosts to conduct a video chat with potential helpers before agreeing to invite them. We also provide a list of suggested questions to ask. A video chat is a great way to assess suitability, as it allows hosts to see and hear the person. However, some hosts choose to interact with volunteers via messaging only. I believe it’s very difficult to get a true sense of someone through text alone, especially if they may be struggling with a mental illness.

I think it’s important for hosts to have a sit-down review with the volunteer after a few days to assess how things are going. If it’s not working out, politely asking them to move on—with a few days’ grace to find a new place—seems like a fair approach. The challenge, however, is that this might simply pass the issue on to another host.

I agree that a video chat is going to give you so much more information than anything else. You figure, if someone can't even get their act together to schedule a video call via WhatsApp, for instance, how are they going to actually show up for what needs to be done? On the other hand, I suppose you can't force your hosts to do anything. It appears maybe a question of a little extra effort at the beginning saving major headaches later.

I would suggest, in addition to references, that they hold 2 video visits so they can see the potential volunteer on 2 different days.  This could establish stability and give more info than a messaging app. or even 1 video call.  Because if someone is struggling they can often hold it together for one short call, but with 2 calls, including video, on 2 different days, you can get a better awareness of a person.

I like the suggestion about the video calls.

I hope the host finds a solution.

The folks at Wheaton Labs described a similar situation in one of their post, maybe the one that Tereza linked.

If I remember correctly someone found dirty dishes hidden in a drawer.

i might go against the trend here, but i think you may be better to deal with the outliers as they happen rather than trying to screen them out, and possibly push away others with intrusive questions. People are all different and many things that you or I may see as common sense (like not filling a drawer with dirty dishes) seem to have escaped some people. I prefer a more hands on approach, and agree that maybe a day or two into the stay you should have a chat and walk through with the person. You may find that asking them to keep the place more tidy, or letting them know that you expect a higher level of cleanliness is all it takes for them to turn things around. After all, these are volunteers and depending on severity of the issue, their value of work may outweigh the hassle. Something about a gift horse comes to mind.

I believe that it is inevitable that folks are going to run into volunteers that are not 'up to snuff' in their views.

I think setting expectations right away and following up on said expectations is important to a host/volunteer relationship. Being able to point back at the work that is expected and being able to provide solid feedback will allow both the host and volunteer to be able to develop their relationship together. It is not easy giving folks feedback in my experience, but it is critical! You don't have to be mean, or act like a boss, but don't be unwavering on your expectations. This should be a win/win for both sides.

I fear some volunteers look at the opportunity as more of a vacation than a work stay in many of the stories that I have read from hosts.

Rusty Ford wrote:i might go against the trend here, but i think you may be better to deal with the outliers as they happen rather than trying to screen them out, and possibly push away others with intrusive questions. People are all different ...

I agree with this. In my experience handling hundreds of volunteers over the course of 25 years, most were okay, a few were stellar, and a few were problems. The problems were very different each time, so I think it's impossible to predict or screen accurately.

I like the suggestion that you formally schedule a meeting 3 days in, to review both sides' expectations and issues. From the beginning of contact, keep it noted by both sides that this meeting is where it will be decided whether to go forward with the original plan.

Hi, we have been woof hosts for over a decade. To answer your question, it's simple: Photo ID and references. Check the references very carefully. Ask questions designed to elicit the factual response, not the feel good response. I've had references tell me in no uncertain terms that I do not want the woofer at my farm, if she's going to have to spend any time with people.

Hope this helps.

Shay Gleeson wrote:I was wondering if anyone has experience dealing with volunteers who arrive on-site and turn out to be suffering from a mental illness.

We recently had a case where the host communicated extensively with a volunteer via WhatsApp before their arrival, and everything seemed fine. However, when the volunteer arrived, it quickly became clear that they were unable to take care of themselves—barely eating, surviving on coffee, and struggling to communicate. They appeared very lonely and depressed, with little self-respect or consideration for their lodgings.

Although their work was satisfactory, the state in which they left their accommodation was completely unacceptable. The place required deep cleaning, as it was covered in mud from top to bottom. Washing up was left in the sink, coffee was spilled all over the floor, soft furnishings were scattered on the floor, mud was tracked up the stairs, and the bathroom was filthy.

This volunteer was clearly not a suitable candidate and seemed to need professional help rather than a volunteer placement. I’m wondering how others go about identifying such cases in advance—how do you screen or pre-vet volunteers without being too intrusive?

After much difficulty with volunteers, I am starting to email people a copy of the volunteer release form they will have to sign.  It is very detailed and includes rules, regulations, expectations, etc....I am hoping this starts to eliminate people form whom my place is not a good fit.  And if they turn out not to be a good fit upon arrival, I will have an clear way to ask them to leave, per the volunteer contract they signed.  The first person I sent it too was very triggered by some of the requirements and it let me know right away they were not a food fit.