Volunteer questions that show what brings people back for another shift
Ask volunteers how the shift went, from the briefing to the team they worked with. Each question below comes with when to ask it and what the answer tells you.
What volunteer survey questions tell you
Volunteer survey questions ask the people who give you their time how a shift went: whether they knew what to do, how well it was organized, whether the work felt like it mattered and what would bring them back. Volunteers who have a confusing shift rarely complain. They stop signing up, and you find out when the schedule has gaps.
Ask at the end of a shift, with a QR code at the sign-out table or by email the same evening, while the day is fresh. Pick four or five questions for a regular shift survey, and keep the roles, availability and agreement questions for new volunteers who are joining.
Each written answer is read as it arrives and given a category, a theme, a sentiment and an urgency, so a volunteer who felt unsafe or left out reaches the coordinator before a request for better snacks does.
- Questions
- 14
- Best asked
- At the end of a shift
- Industry
- Nonprofits
- Where to find them
- From library in the Usertick survey editor, on every plan
The 14 volunteers questions, with when to ask each
Grouped by what they tell you. Use them as they are or change the wording.
How the shift went
Start with one feeling or score, then the parts behind it, so the coordinator knows whether to fix the briefing, the tools or the team.
- 01Emoji
How did your shift feel?
How the shift felt, on a row of faces. Put it first, since it is quick to answer on a phone at the end of a long day. Results shows each face with its share.
- 11Stars
How well was your shift organized?
A star rating for how well the shift was organized. Results shows the average and the share who rated 4 or higher, a number to follow shift by shift and site by site.
- 02Matrix
Rate your shift on each
Rates the briefing, the tools, the team and the impact in one grid. The heat map shows which part pulls the shift down, and row averages let you compare one site or event with another.
- 04Yes / No
Did you know what to do?
A plain yes or no on whether the volunteer knew what to do. A No points at the briefing. Select No in Results to read what those volunteers said about the rest of the shift.
- 03Ruler
How many hours did you volunteer?
Hours given, on a ruler. Results shows the median and the middle half, and the total time volunteers give is a figure you can use in reports to funders.
Whether the time mattered
These questions show who will sign up again and what would change their mind, so read them together before your next recruitment push.
- 05Big scale
How much did you feel your time mattered?
How much the volunteer felt the time mattered, from 1 to 10. Low scores can come from shifts with too little to do, so compare them with the hours given and the role.
- 12Big scale
How likely are you to volunteer again?
The likelihood of another shift, from 1 to 10. Read it with the question on what would keep the volunteer coming back to see which change would move the most people.
- 09Yes / No
Would you bring a friend next time?
Asks whether the volunteer would bring a friend next time. A yes is a quiet sign of a good shift and a cheap way to recruit: send those volunteers a link they can pass on.
- 06Multiple choice
What would keep you coming back?
Names the one change that would keep the volunteer coming back. Results shows the share of each. Keep Nothing needed in the list, so happy volunteers aren't pushed into a wish.
- 07Text
What would make volunteering easier?
An open question on what would make volunteering easier: parking, signing up, the length of shifts. Each answer arrives with its theme, so you can filter for the ones about scheduling.
Getting new volunteers started
Ask these when someone joins or moves to a new role, so you can match them to a shift and keep the signed agreement with their answers.
- 10Dropdown
How often do you volunteer with us?
How often the person volunteers, from first time to weekly. Use it to split every other answer, since a first shift and a weekly regular need different fixes.
- 08Multiple choice
Which roles interest you?
Lets volunteers pick every role they would try. Results shows bars per role, which helps you fill hard roles such as driving or admin from people who already said yes.
- 14Date
When are you available to start?
Lets new volunteers pick a start date on a calendar. Results shows the dates picked, so the coordinator can plan inductions around the weeks most people can start.
- 13Signature
Sign the volunteer agreement
Collects a signature on the volunteer agreement in the same form as the sign-up questions. Results shows each signature in a gallery. Signature questions are on every plan, 1 per survey on Free.
Tips for asking about volunteers
Small choices that get honest, useful answers.
- 01
Ask at the end of the shift
Put a QR code on the sign-out table or send the link the same evening. A week later, volunteers remember the cause but forget the briefing.
- 02
Keep regular surveys short
Ask a regular volunteer three or four questions, and save the roles and availability questions for someone new.
- 03
Tag each site or event
Use one link per site or event with a tag on it, so every answer carries the place and each coordinator can read their own results.
- 04
Close the loop at the briefing
Share what you changed after the survey at the next briefing, so volunteers see that their answers moved something.
Add these questions to a survey
From the library to the first answers.
- 1
Open the library
In the Usertick survey editor, choose From library, filter by industry and topic, and add several questions at once.
- 2
Or paste your own list
Paste questions reads up to 10 questions from any text on Free, 100 on Starter and 200 on Pro and above, keeps your wording and picks an answer type for each.
- 3
Choose where it runs
Show the survey on your website, send it by email, share its link and QR code, or switch it to a conversation.
- 4
Read the answers
Results counts every score and choice, and Usertick reads each written answer and files it by topic, on every plan.
Templates and more questions about volunteers
Full surveys that ask about the same things, and neighboring topics in the library.
Templates
Browse all templatesFrequently asked questions
At the end of a shift or the same evening. A QR code at the sign-out point works for one-off events, and an email to your volunteer list, sent now or scheduled up to 30 days ahead, works for regular shifts.
Three to five after a shift: how it felt, how well it was organized, whether the time mattered and one open question. Ask new volunteers more.
Yes, on every plan. Add the signature question (1 per survey on Free), and each signature arrives with the volunteer's other answers.
Yes, when you share the survey on your website, by link or QR code and turn on anonymous responses: no user ID, traits or visitor ID is stored. It doesn't hold for surveys sent through Usertick email.
Yes. The question library comes with every plan, the free plan included, and the free plan covers 150 responses a month across your surveys.
Yes. Once a question is in your survey, reword it, change its options or its answer type, and add logic to skip it for some answers.
Yes. The library is translated into Usertick's built-in languages, and in any other language it shows in English for you to translate.
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