Staff Onboarding

This is a basic guide for getting setup with the VancouFur Volunteer team as a staff member.

Everyone

Volunteer Sheet

Make sure you fill out the Staff Sign-up Form first! We need to be able to contact you and get you setup.

Tools

Make sure you have access to the following

1. Basecamp
   • Best Practices
2. Google Drive
3. Discord
4. This Wiki

Most of these are invited on an email address basis. The email address (and logins) you provide in the Volunteer Sheet get setup for these accounts.

Best practices for each are listed under Tools.

Basecamp

Basecamp is the central communication tool for all VancouFur staff.

• VancouFur HQ on Basecamp
• Training Video

Best Practices

1. HQ and Teams
   • VancouFur 2018 HQ broadcasts to EVERYONE
   • Each Branch (Business, Events, Hotel, Media, Operations) has a Team
     • Use teams to communicate between departments
     • Departments with lots of requests (website, etc) should have todo lists
2. Projects
   • Small scope, large ontaking
   • Only make one if you need many todos and message boards
   • Keep a minimal number of people in them
   • Make sure chair and admin are there to add people
3. Tools
   • Main tools use: Message Boards, Todos, Schedule
   • Campfires are not to be used
     • Discord is our chat tool
   • Other tools are not used
   • Do not use Files, put documents on Google Drive
4. TODOs - Hot Potato
   • A TODO item is a Hot Potato that you must respond to
   • To deal with a TODO, do one of the following
     1. Answer the request / item and assign it back to whom gave it to you
     2. Mark it as complete, if it is
     3. Find the correct owner
     4. Give it a due date
   • Only ONE person is assigned a todo item at a time
   • Give the todo a simple but completable task
     • One to two sentences at most
     • An action or question that can be completed or answered
   • If multiple people are needed, mention them in the details
     • Use the at-symbol system built into basecamp

Emails

If you run a department, or are an exec, you will get setup with access to vancoufur.org email addresses. Please make sure you can access these as well.

Communication

1. Try to respond to all communication within 24 hours
   • This includes emails, chats, basecamp, etc
2. Be courteous and professional in your communication
3. Know the chain of organization so you know who to escalate issues

Backfill

If you are away for a period of more than 48 hours, please be courteous and find a backfill

1. Find someone who can cover your department for you
   • Must be another staffer
   • Can be an exec, admin, or anyone else
2. Ask them to cover your area for a period of time
3. Check in with your backfill when you can
4. Ensure that the staff knows you are away and who your backfill is

This is for both planned and unplanned periods of time away. We are all volunteers, things come up, but to keep things running smoothly, having a temporary backfill in your place is very helpful.

Executives

• Make sure you are familiar with your Branch and all the related Departments.
• Make contact with your leads and seconds
• Make sure you are in contact with the other exes and the chairs

Leads and Seconds

• Make sure you are in contact with the lead or second of your department
• Make sure you are familiar with your Department guide.
• Make sure you are in contact with your lead or executive.