What if people still want to volunteer — they just don’t want to do it the way our systems expect them to? In this episode of Making a Ruckus, Tracey O’Neill challenges one of the biggest myths in volunteer engagement: the “recruitment problem.”

We keep hearing it: “No one wants to volunteer anymore.”
But what if that’s not true?

Tracey explores how outdated processes, rigid roles, and under-resourced leadership have created unnecessary barriers — and why the real challenge isn’t recruitment at all, it’s system design.

You’ll hear:

• What the data really says about the shift from formal to informal volunteering.

• Real quotes from sector leaders who are rethinking the future of engagement.

• How volunteer engagement needs a seat at the strategy table.

• Why systems built with community — not for them — are the key to belonging.

• Six practical ways to make volunteering easier, faster, and more human.

Because volunteering doesn’t need fixing — it needs reimagining.

Mentioned:

• Volunteering Victoria 2025 State of Volunteering Report - https://www.volunteeringvictoria.org.au/state-of-volunteering-vic/
• Real comments Tracey's LinkedIn post on the "recruitment myth" - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7373580643009560576/

Connect:

• Learn more: traceyoneill.com.au
• Join the conversation on LinkedIn: @traceyoneillcva
• Follow on Instagram: @tracey.volunteerengagement
• Follow on Facebook: Tracey O’Neill Consulting