STArTInG A LOCAL RADiO stAtiOn - Nai

Section 3: The value of staff and volunteersRecruitment SourcesHow a radio station finds appropriate people to apply for positions will differ from community to community.The goal is to attract staff members, male and female, from different ethnic backgrounds and/orminority groups, with varying interests and relevant skills.Here are a few sources of potential staff to consider:nnnnnThe radio station’s advisory board can help recruit diverse staff or volunteers. See Section 4 on CommunityRadio for more information on creating a board of advisors.Afghan youth represent a large portion of our society. Young people can become high-energy volunteers.Many young people are eager to find opportunities to learn media and communicationskills, and your station may be their only opportunity to do so.Media training organizations such as Nai Supporting Afghanistan Open Media have contacts withjournalists across Afghanistan and job placement seminars that tell journalists about positions availablein media.Volunteers for advocacy groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) already work in thecommunity. They can enrich existing radio programs with local knowledge and ideas.University faculties, especially of literature and journalism, have students who can benefit from internships,volunteer or staff positions that allow them to gain practical broadcasting skills.Selecting Staff and VolunteersIt’s good to ask Afghan journalists and radio station staff to submit a personal resume when they applyfor a job. It’s equally important for the radio station to have its own application form and to ask each applicantor current staff member to complete this form. The application allows the station to gather thesame information about each person so that it will be easy for managers to compare applicants. Theapplication form will help the person who interviews the applicant, and will help the hiring committeelearn about the applicant’s history. When hiring staff, a skills test is another helpful technique. As part ofthe interview, an applicant briefly performs one or more of the skills that would be used by an employeein that specific job. A skills test could include writing, editing, language translation and voice recordingsections. For example, you may ask a journalist who wants to be a reporter at your station to rewrite anewspaper article so that it can be presented on radio. Or, you might ask an applicant who wants to bean on-air announcer to read a radio script in the recording studio. A skills test allows you to see the weaknessesand strengths of an applicant’s practical skills.Application forms may include the following:n Work experience (paid and unpaid/volunteer)nnnnEducation and trainingAffiliations with NGOs or other organizationsSkills and interestsWhen they can work (weekdays, evenings, or weekends)STARTING A LOCAL RADIO STATION: A MANUAL FOR AFGHANISTAN33