Three Reasons Why People Don’t Volunteer, and What Can Be Done About It 為何無人熱心志愿服務及解決辦法

艾米·尤托波洛斯 譯/鄢宏福 審訂/方圓

Research has shown that while over 90% of us want to volunteer， only 1 out of 4 Americans actually do. Did you know there is a relationship between volunteering and improved physical health and cognitive function？ Research also shows that volunteers report elevated mood and less depression， and that volunteers report increased social interactions and social support， better relationship quality， and decreased loneliness. So if most of us want to volunteer， and we believe it is good for us， why aren’t all of us volunteering？ Research has found 3 common barriers：

“I don’t have enough time and volunteer schedules are too inflexible”

The most common reason for not volunteering is lack of free time （about half of Americans cite this as the main reason）， and another common reason is that the volunteer schedules and commitments are too inflexible. Which is interesting because retirees （who presumably have enough time） do not volunteer at higher rates than employees， and people aged 35 to 44 （those most likely to have young children at home and be employed） actually volunteer at slightly higher rates.

One solution is to understand about “volunteering inertia”， which is basic-ally the habit we create by volunteering or not volunteering. Research shows people who volunteer before retirement are more likely to volunteer in retirement （75%）. In contrast， only about a third of retirees who did not volunteer while working begin to volunteer in retirement. This suggests there is a “sweet spot” for volunteer recruitment in the years prior to retirement.

Another possible solution is to make volunteering more accessible and automatic. If working parents are volunteering， it is most likely at their kids’ schools， which is a location they are already frequenting daily. Employers could encourage volunteerism on-site or in a proximate location. Organizations could be more flexible in the way they use volunteer work， including work that could be done at home， or during evening or weekend hours.

“I don’t have enough information and most volunteer roles aren’t interesting”

Another very common reason is that people don’t have information about where to volunteer， or if they do， the jobs are not meaningful or purposeful. While motivation to volunteer can vary by age， with younger volunteers more motivated by future preparation （such as increasing skills， knowledge， and advancing careers） and older volunteers more likely to cite generativity as a reason for volunteering， most people are motivated to volunteer by personal gratification and having a meaningful experience.

A solution would be for organizations who utilize volunteers to make sure they are matching the skills and experience of their volunteers to the roles they have available. Making copies and coffee are certainly not meaningful to most. Some organizations have a short interview process where they discuss the background of the potential volunteer to closely match it to the needs they have.

The Stanford Center on Longevity produced a report on ways to support intergenerational volunteerism， which included five best-practices strategies. In addition， there are several websites that help individuals find volunteer roles in their area and interest. Yet many individuals still don’t know about these websites that can help access meaningful volunteer roles more adeptly.

“No one asked me to”

One out of 4 people say they don’t volunteer because no one asked them to; so let’s ask！ Research shows the organizations that are most successful at recruiting and retaining volunteers have a full-time paid volunteer coordinator. This is the person who invites them to be a volunteer and oversees them throughout the application and training process as well as connects with them routinely during their tenure as a volunteer. Volunteers want to feel included in the goals of the organization， and that their work （even if unpaid） is valued and appreciated.

Employers and schools can help with asking as well. High schools and colleges are already requiring volunteer service， and many employers are offering paid time off to volunteer or including it as a part of their wellness plans.

Creating a new social norm of volunteering

Potential for increasing volunteerism is high if we are able to address these common barriers. By reducing these barriers， we can create a new social norm of volunteering throughout one’s life， where it is expected that everyone volunteers starting from school age and throughout old age. In the pre-retirement years， employers could encourage increasing volunteer hours as they slowly decrease their work hours， so that retirees would be fully integrated into their meaningful volunteer roles in a gradual and seamless transition.

研究表明，盡管有意從事志愿服務的美國人超過9成，但真正付諸行動的卻只有1/4。你可知道，志愿服務與促進身體健康、提高認知功能之間存在著聯系嗎？研究還發現，從事志愿服務的人精神飽滿、較少憂郁，社交互動和社會支持有所增加，人際關系質量更高，也較少感到孤獨。既然我們大都愿意從事志愿服務，而且知道它對我們有益，為什么不是所有人都付諸行動？研究發現，有3個常見原因。

“個人空閑時間少，而志愿活動安排不靈活”

最常見的一個原因是空閑時間不足（約一半美國人將其列為主要原因），另一個常見原因是志愿活動安排太不靈活。這很有意思，因為退休人員（理應有大把空閑時間）從事志愿服務的比例并不比上班族高，而35至44歲年齡段的人（多為孩子幼小的職場人士）從事志愿服務的比例實際上略高。

一個解決辦法是了解“志愿慣性”，這基本上是人們選擇從事或者不從事志愿服務所形成的習慣。研究表明，退休前有過志愿者經歷的人在退休后繼續堅持的可能性更大（75%）。相比之下，工作期間未從事過志愿工作的人當中，只有1/3的人在退休后開始從事志愿活動。這一現象表明，退休前幾年是志愿者招募的“最佳時機”。

另一個可能的解決辦法是增加志愿服務的便捷性和自主性。如果在職父母做志愿者的話，他們最有可能在孩子的學校做，因為他們每天都會往返學校。雇主可以鼓勵員工就地或就近從事志愿服務。志愿服務機構可以更加靈活地組織志愿工作，包括可以居家或晚間、周末完成的工作。

“信息渠道有限，崗位大多無聊”

還有一個很普遍的原因是人們無法獲取志愿活動信息，或者即便他們獲取到有關信息，相關崗位卻缺少意義和針對性。不同年齡的人從事志愿工作的動機不同，年輕志愿者傾向于為將來做準備（比如提升技能、增長知識、促進職業發展等），年長志愿者則更多是為了子孫后代的福祉，而大多數人是為了提升自我滿足感和獲得有意義的體驗而選擇志愿服務。

對此，組織方可根據志愿者具備的技能和經驗為他們匹配合適的崗位。對大多數人而言，復印資料、泡咖啡這樣的工作實在沒有意義。一些志愿服務組織會安排簡短的面試，考察申請者的背景，以便與用人需求相匹配。

斯坦福長壽研究中心發布了一份關于志愿精神代際傳承方法的報告，其中包括5種“最佳做法”策略。另外，有幾家網站能夠幫助人們迅速找到與自己專業領域和興趣愛好相匹配的志愿者崗位。不過，許多人仍然不知道這些更善于匹配有意義的志愿者崗位的網站。

“沒人發動”

有1/4的人表示，他們之所以沒有從事志愿服務，是因為沒人發動他們。那我們就來發動大家吧！研究表明，那些在招募志愿者和留住志愿者方面表現最出色的組織都雇用了全職的志愿者協調員。協調員負責招聘志愿者，在申請和培訓過程中全程監督，并在他們擔任志愿者期間與之保持日常聯系。志愿者想要感受到自己被納入了組織的目標，希望自己工作（即便沒有報酬）受到重視和肯定。

雇主和學校也可以發動志愿者。一些高中和大學已經開始要求學生從事志愿服務，許多雇主允許員工帶薪參加志愿服務，或者將其納入公司的福利計劃。

建立志愿服務社會新規范

如果我們能夠消除以上常見障礙，志愿服務將展現出巨大發展潛力。通過減少這些障礙，我們還能建立一種新的社會規范，倡導終生志愿服務，即從學齡階段直到老年，一直從事志愿服務。從退休前幾年開始，雇主可以逐步減少雇員的工作時間，鼓勵他們更多從事志愿服務。如此一來，雇員退休后便可以完全融入有意義的志愿者角色，實現工作與志愿服務之間的平穩過渡和無縫銜接。

（譯者單位：中南大學外國語學院）