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Recruiting
Moderators / Finding Replacements
When the group gets too big to handle for you and your small group of moderators,
or you feel it's necessary to step down, it's time to tap community resources
and find some additional assistance or replacements. There are a few ways to
do this.
Some swear by hand picking a moderator based on their activity with
the group. They look for someone who posts correctly, has no issues with other
community members, and is approachable and friendly.
Since moderators have the
most contact with posting members, you want to find someone who is people friendly,
patient, not abrasive, and can follow the rules that have been laid out for
the group.
Another
method to recruit a new moderator is to send out a mod recruit letter. It's
relatively simple to do and can be posted as a Special Notices ADMIN. This gets
out to your entire community. Once the applicants respond to your post, you
can pick a member based on requirements previously listed. If you need a backup
moderator, you might also try asking for volunteers on your state moderators
group or write to the moderators of Freecycle groups near you.
Important Note: If you must leave your group on short notice, and if you have tried to
find a replacement moderator from your members and no one has volunteered, please
immediately contact your Group Outreach and Assistance coordinator (GOA)
for your state.
or send a message addressed to YourState@freecycle.org. Freecycle has a group
of volunteers who can come in and manage your group if you need to leave and
who will recruit and train new local moderators.
Whatever method you use to recruit, the important thing is finding a good moderator to
assist or as your replacement. This section will walk you through the process
step by step and includes sample letters to get you started!
The following letters are provided to get you started: Mod Recruit
Letter, Welcome Letter 1, Welcome Letter
2, and Standard Operating Procedures.
I. Getting Started - Sending A Mod Recruit Letter:
Once you have determined that you need a moderator for your group, get the word
out to recruit one! The easiest way to announce an opening for moderator is
to send out an occasional mod recruit letter to your group members.
Here is
a sample letter that can be used. Simply copy and paste... and feel free to
edit as necessary!
***Replace all XXX references with your local group name***
Example
#1 - Mod Recruit Letter - Initial Letter
| Hello!
Do you think Freecycle(TM) is a great community resource? Is it helping
you clear out your clutter?
Do you wonder why nobody thought of doing this before? Maybe you should be a moderator for this group! Currently, the XXX Freecycle group doesn't have any local moderators and we are asking for volunteers. If you are interested, please read through these qualifications, and if you think you meet most or all of the requirements get back to us as soon as possible: MODERATORS SHOULD HAVE THESE QUALIFICATIONS *Must live in the area served by XXX Freecycle. *Have a basic knowledge of the Freecycle rules. They can be looked up and learned fairly quickly. *Time! You should have an hour or so throughout the day and evening to devote to moderating a group. It is a volunteer position - there is no pay or tangible benefits, just the joy of knowing you're giving back to your community. *Computer, Internet access and computer skills. (Obviously another "must") *Internet experience. Knowledge of Yahoo!Groups is a huge plus, but not required. *Writing skills. Correct spelling, proper punctuation, complete sentences, and proper grammar are a must. You must not type in "chat mode" or "IM mode." This means no all upper or lower case typing! *The ability to follow instructions. Guidelines have been set up for all Freecycle group moderators to maintain in order to be listed on the main Freecycle web page. *A positive attitude and the ability to keep your cool when dealing with irate or irresponsible members. *An interest in environmental causes - you know that Freecycle isn't about FREE stuff but about keeping stuff out of the landfills and building community! There are materials available to help teach people the tricks of moderating a Freecycle group and there will be a more experienced mod assigned to the group for a while. The ideal is to have two (or more) local co-mods managing the group. Tell us about yourself! Please let us know: 1. Your full name and where you live, 2. The email address and ID you use on Freecycle 3. If you belong to other Freecycle groups and which one(s) 4. Any relevant experience that would be helpful for us to know. If this sounds like something you'd like to do, get back to us right away! And if you know someone else who would make a good moderator, please pass this message on to that person. Let us know if you have questions. We're happy to help! Your XXX Freecycle Moderators XXX-owner@yahoogroups.com Reply to XXX-owner@yahoogroups.com PLEASE PUT XXX MOD JOB IN THE SUBJECT LINE (C) 2003, The Freecycle Network(TM). All rights reserved. Freecycle and the Freecycle logo are trademarks of The Freecycle Network in the United States and/or other countries. |
After your mod recruit letter gets posted, it becomes a waiting game to determine your pool of moderator candidates.
Make a baseline determination based on their response. Does the member answer all questions completely and concisely? Are they posting in full sentences? More importantly, does the member have a clean record on your board? Were there run-ins in the past that might prejudice that person with your current membership?
Once those questions have been decided and you determine you have a good candidate, make contact again with the member. Answer any additional questions they might have asked. When that is completed, you should be able to move forward.
II. Changing Member To Moderator
Now it's time to change a former member into a moderator. For those of you who aren't familiar with the procedure, follow these steps:
- Click Members.
- Search for your new moderator by entering their email address into the window and click Go.
- Once that member's name is located, click on the Pencil Icon under their name.
- You have the option to either Change to Moderator or Change to Owner.
- Make either selection based on whatever criteria you have set and Save Changes.
You have the option of making click box selections. Based on what you want your new mod to do, click them accordingly and Save Changes. You are finished!
A change of status email will be generated by Yahoo to let your new moderator know (s)he has extended privileges.
It is recommended that you set limited privileges to your new mod as a precautionary measure. Your new mod may be brand new to the task and doesn't know what can and cannot be done. If the wrong link is clicked or an incorrect box checked off, you could lose a lot of valuable information.
So just as a precaution, it's best to set them up on a probationary or limited basis while they get trained. Some mods are seasoned and familiar with the process and don't need to be limited quite so much. Use your best judgment here.
The next step is letting your moderator know about the new privileges. There are several ways to do this. A personal note sent by you will work, as well as the following message as an example. Simply copy and paste... and feel free to edit as necessary!
***Replace all XXX references with your local group name***
Mod Recruit Letter - Welcome Letter 1
|
Hi XXX and Welcome! I just made you a moderator and you now have the ability to approve pending messages and members. This will be a two-week trial period and at the end we can evaluate how that went and you can decide if you want to come on board permanently! Here's some information that will be helpful as you begin moderating. Group
name: XXX Freecycle(TM) The
Freecycle Network(TM) now qualifies as an international movement, (lots
of good people worldwide) giving stuff away (and getting stuff) like crazy.
The online Mod Manual is an invaluable tool that provides answers to many questions you may have pertaining to daily operations and management of your Freecycle group. From start to finish, it walks you through basic procedures and gradually introduces you to the finer details of being a moderator. It can be found here: http://www.freecycle.org/manual/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecyclemodsquad/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecyclemodsquad/database There is also a little welcome kit that one of the mods put together for new mods under: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecyclemodsquad/files/ Thanks and good luck. We look forward to working with you! Your
Name (Your E-mail Address) (C) 2003, The Freecycle Network(TM). All rights reserved. Freecycle and the Freecycle logo are trademarks of The Freecycle Network in the United States and/or other countries. |
III. Basic Training and Instruction for Your New Moderator
I've often sent out new mod information in a series of three emails.
Although it's basic guidelines, it gives your new mod some sense of what is
expected from the get go. The amount of information given up front can make
all the difference between success or failure in training your new mod. Too
much information and they can feel overwhelmed and intimidated by the tasks
at hand. Too little information and they can flounder with inadequate tools
to successfully conquer the basic tasks at hand.
Methods of training and notification vary, but giving your mods the starting information
available to them up front will make them feel that much more comfortable at
settling into their new position.
Follow-up information regarding additional
tasks such as
can be given in varying intervals once the basics have been
mastered and your new mod is comfortable with taking on more responsibility.
Additional information regarding moderation and other tasks to maintain your
Freecycle group can be found in the Freecycle Mod Manual, Section 2.
Mod Recruit Letter - Welcome Letter 2
|
Hello!
You should have received an introduction letter to inform you of your
status change to Moderator. My name is _____ and I have been assigned
to assist you while you transition in.
|
There is one more optional email to send that gives a general overview on Standard
Operating Procedures for Moderators. It's a reiteration of Mod Letter 2 but
gives some additional information related to the Etiquette
File. I highly recommend this one get sent out as a minimum. Again, this
is optional but I prefer to give new mods the most information on the basics
so they have a solid foundation on which to start.
A
Freecycle Moderator's Day-to-Day Responsibilities
|
Standard Operating Procedures:
Messages from Moderated Members: Besides checking the posts made to the group by those who are not moderated, you will also need to approve messages by those folks still on moderation. Usually these are "New Members." When a moderated member posts, an email will be sent to all moderators to let them know that a pending message needs approval. Although you can approve or reject via email (the instructions are on the email), if you have a minute or two extra, please do the following: Go to the website. Click on "pending messages" to view the messages needing approval. If the message is OK, you have the option of changing the member's status from moderated to unmoderated at this point. (Check with your group's policy if the member needs to complete an Offer/Taken set of posts or even a few series of Offers/Taken posts to determine whether or not to place the member on unmoderated status.) Look for this message: "this member's messages are moderated", to change the status [edit]. Click on [edit]. Then you'll see a couple of options, and you'll want to click the first one, "change to group settings". At the bottom of the page, click "Save changes". Now go to the message and hit "approve". If the message is inappropriate, then you may choose to edit it if it's a minor error, such as inadequate headings (they forgot to put OFFER or WANTED), or reject it if it's SPAM, for sale ad, or chit chat. Whenever I can (depending on time available), I also send a very quick but cordial note to the poster to let them know that I edited their message. Or, you can add a statement to the bottom of the note, such as, "Edited by Moderator to add appropriate heading" or something similar. This is sometimes effective because it reminds the rest of the membership that they must do the same. You'll want to periodically remind either individuals or the whole group about the policy regarding the use of proper headings and to include their location in the subject line. Be kind, but provide occasional reminders, and they'll gradually catch on. When you post a message like this to the whole group, start the subject line with "ADMIN". To put a member back on moderation, open the members list (left hand column on the home page). Find the member's name and click on the little pencil in under their name. Under Membership Privileges, you'll see Posting Messages. Use group settings [edit]. Click on edit. Click the circle for messages posted by this member are moderated, then "Save Changes" at the bottom of the page. If you will be unable to moderate the group for more than a day or two in a row, please contact the other list owners and moderators to let them know, so that the group is covered in your absence. That's about it! If you have questions or problems that stump you, please feel free to contact me or XXX. No question or concern is too small!!!! Thank You. Your Name (Your E-mail Address) XXX-owner@yahoogroups.com http://www.freecycle.org (C) 2003, The Freecycle Network(TM). All rights reserved. Freecycle and the Freecycle logo are trademarks of The Freecycle Network in the United States and/or other countries. |
IV. Final Steps and Parting Words of Advice
The preceding instructions provide a solid starting point to get your mod on board.
The final part of mod recruiting is training and this is left up to you, as
the resident expert for your member list. I leave you with some final words
of advice. I follow these on a daily basis when dealing with new mods that I
personally recall from my first few days of mod training:
Sometimes
a new mod will not work out no matter what you do. Personalities clash, attention
to detail waivers, or maybe they simply aren't cut out for the position no matter
how hard you train them or how much instruction you provide. If you have to
let a mod go, do it gently and kindly. Thank them for their time and let them
know it just didn't work out. There is no need to pinpoint every bit of blame
where they lacked proficiency or point out their mistakes. That's just a cheap
parting shot and does not serve any part of member relations and communications.
Better luck next time with another mod trainee. It just happens.
Finally, don't forget to inform the Mod
Squad Owner in the event that your new mod that didn't work out is no longer
a moderator at XXX Freecycle.
Now go forth and recruit! Best of luck on your endeavor.