American Red Cross Mock Interview

Practice 34 American Red Cross interview questions covering humanitarian values, crisis response, and mission-driven service.

WRITTEN BY ISAIAH SWANSON
QUESTION 2 OF 34

Volunteers drive the work of the American Red Cross. How do you motivate and manage volunteers?

Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson is a volunteer recruitment professional who has interviewed, trained, and supervised thousands of volunteers supporting dozens of nonprofit programs helping families in crisis, homebound seniors, and victims of natural disasters.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question

Volunteers comprise the majority of the Red Cross's workforce. They work in a number of capacities serving national and international communities impacted by emergencies and natural disasters. Even if you are not directly applying to coordinate volunteers, it is possible that your role will involve managing volunteers in some way. The interviewer wants to know that you have experience in this area or at least an understanding of how to motivate individuals.

Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson is a volunteer recruitment professional who has interviewed, trained, and supervised thousands of volunteers supporting dozens of nonprofit programs helping families in crisis, homebound seniors, and victims of natural disasters.
Example Answer

"As a volunteer recruitment and engagement manager with a nonprofit that operates a mental health crisis hotline, it is imperative for me to foster an environment where volunteer staff stays focused, attentive, and positive in their interactions with clients we serve. I have designated more experienced volunteers as 'session leaders,' and their task is to lead a debriefing that allows time for reflection and suggestions after each shift. Participating in this reflection gives volunteers the opportunity to learn from and support each other in this important role. I find volunteers are largely self-motivated because of the mission of their work, but these sessions give them a chance to motivate each other as well."

Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson is a volunteer recruitment professional who has interviewed, trained, and supervised thousands of volunteers supporting dozens of nonprofit programs helping families in crisis, homebound seniors, and victims of natural disasters.
Example Answer 2

"Although I have never recruited and trained volunteers, I have managed a crew of on-call social workers tasked with helping families secure emergency shelter. This work is emotionally and physically demanding since it requires working non-typical work hours and emanating calm in the face of difficult situations. It can be challenging for staff to avoid feeling motivational burn-out, so as a manager, I decided to help encourage them by offering frequent updates on the results of the program and the families they had helped. Next, I worked with human resources to bolster health and wellness benefits to support their mental and physical well-being. Finally, I worked with the team to coordinate a call rotation that allowed a better work-life balance while also covering the 24-hour hotline. As a result, the team was more motivated, more productive, and generally happier."

Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson
Isaiah Swanson is a volunteer recruitment professional who has interviewed, trained, and supervised thousands of volunteers supporting dozens of nonprofit programs helping families in crisis, homebound seniors, and victims of natural disasters.
How to Answer

Share a situation where you were responsible for managing an individual or group of volunteers. Explain your approach to keeping volunteers engaged in their work. If you have never managed volunteers, talk about how you have successfully motivated employees in the past. If you have no management experience at all, talk about how you motivate yourself in the workplace.

Previous Question Next Question

34 American Red Cross Interview Questions & Answers

Jump to any question in the set.

01 Discuss a time when you discovered a problem in your team's or individual position's operational structure. How did you address the problem and overcome it? OPERATIONAL 02 Volunteers drive the work of the American Red Cross. How do you motivate and manage volunteers? OPERATIONAL 03 Manufacturing and testing blood is an important part of the work we do at the American Red Cross. Talk about a time where you encountered a problem while working in a lab and how you overcame it. SITUATIONAL 04 Describe your experience and knowledge in the area of blood manufacturing. DISCOVERY 05 In addition to its domestic programs, the Red Cross operates internationally. Describe your experiences working with culturally diverse groups. DISCOVERY 06 How would you go about resolving a conflict between volunteers who are arguing? SCENARIO 07 Share your perspective on asking volunteers to not return to your organization. DISCOVERY 08 Thinking back to your program management experience, discuss a time when you supervised the expansion of a program. MANAGEMENT 09 What would you do if there was extreme weather and you determined that your blood drive would have no attendees as a result? SCENARIO 10 Talk about your experience maintaining records in a digital database. TECHNICAL 11 How do you approach establishing a baseline of understanding when you start working with new people? BEHAVIORAL 12 Talk about a situation where you were required to maintain a great amount of energy over a long period of time in order to complete a project. SITUATIONAL 13 In your fundraising experience, have you worked more with corporate or individual donors? DISCOVERY 14 Share your experience targeting specific demographics for volunteer recruitment. DISCOVERY 15 As this is a fundraising position, would you share with us the size of your previous portfolio? Please also detail your donor base, in-kind donations, major gifts, etc. DISCOVERY 16 Share a time when you have successfully procured a large gift and what strategy you employed to do so. OPERATIONAL 17 Employees of the American Red Cross often work weekends and other nonstandard work hours for special events, blood drives, emergency situations, etc. Are you available to work these hours? DISCOVERY 18 Talk about a situation where you had to alter your strategy in order to solve a problem. SITUATIONAL 19 Have you ever had to express disagreement with a suggestion from a board member, chairperson, or an organizational leader? SITUATIONAL 20 Please share your experience familiarizing yourself with an office, organization, or chapter you have managed. DISCOVERY 21 Explain your skills and experience related to website and social media analytics? TECHNICAL 22 How would you procure new sponsors for blood drives? SCENARIO 23 Why do you want to work for the American Red Cross? DISCOVERY 24 Tell me about a time your team members seemed to grasp a new concept, skill, technique, or process before you did. SITUATIONAL 25 How do you handle an unhappy stakeholder? BEHAVIORAL 26 Describe your technical skills, specifically your computer knowledge and experience using Microsoft products. TECHNICAL 27 Are you comfortable working with bio-hazardous materials? DISCOVERY 28 How do you manage your time during a professional presentation? OPERATIONAL 29 Have you ever been advised by a fellow employee or supervisor to lie about a situation? How did you handle this ethical dilemma? SITUATIONAL 30 The American Red Cross is a fast-paced environment where employees often juggle multiple projects and responsibilities. How do you handle stress on the job? DISCOVERY 31 Are you applying for any other jobs? DISCOVERY 32 Please share a time in your teaching experience when things didn't go as planned. How did you respond? BEHAVIORAL 33 What is your philosophy regarding work-life balance? DISCOVERY 34 Do you have experience with writing grant proposals? DISCOVERY
RELATED SETS
NONPROFIT
Canadian Red Cross
NONPROFIT
The Salvation Army
NONPROFIT
United Way
NONPROFIT
UNICEF
Isaiah Swanson
Written by Isaiah Swanson
34 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS · AMERICAN RED CROSS
See membership