Which volunteer?

[OldClothes]

I am a charity shop manager looking to appoint a new volunteer. It looks like it may come down to a choice between two young women. Girl A seems reliable and nice enough, and would be probably be ok. Girl B seems to have the gift of the gab, is a cool dresser and have a feeling would be popular with the regular customers, but in theory might be less reliable on occasion than the other.

My head says Girl A to be on the safe side, but I might choose Girl B on the basis she'd be more fun to work with. I also think Girl A will find another (maybe better) voluntary role very soon anyway, maybe quicker than Girl B.

YABU for Girl A
YANBU for Girl B

Which one is best for business?
If not paid work who will stay for the job in the long run?

I'm not sure there would be a proper job in the long run. It's hard to know who is better for business. Girl B might bring more friends in, although it's not guaranteed that they'd spend a lot of money.

Bring friends in? To shop?
That's a weird qualification.

What I mean is, if her friends come in for a quick chat when she's on shift they might end up buying something sometimes.

Oh no, if B is the kind to have friends turn up they could just spend all their time standing in corners yacking and doing sod all.

When I had volunteers it was the reliable one any day of the week, way less issues.

If it's an unpaid volunteer, surely you can have two?

Do you mean women?

Why can't you take them both on if it's just volunteering?

Then if one doesn't work out you've lost nothing.

Firstly, you don’t know the reliability of either person.

You sound like you want to be mates with the ‘cool girl’ and find girl A a little boring.

I am going to vote (c)

C stands for -
(a) stop calling adult females "girls" - it is patronising and insulting, and
(b) if you need a MN AIBU vote to make a decision, then you are not fit to manage anything on the face of the earth, and
(c) was "safe side" or "fun" anywhere on the person specification?

They may be applying to be volunteers, but they deserve the respect that anyone applying to do a job of work should expect. Honestly, working for you doesn't meet that criteria. I am disgusted you thing this is a fun poll for MN.

At the moment, probably won't be able to fit both in without either giving someone else the boot or being overstaffed for certain shifts.

Whichever young woman you choose, please don't let her hear you refer to her as a girl.

Sorry if I was patronising. They are both 18 or thereabouts

You will be doing her work whilst she chats.

alternate shifts?

On the contrary, I won't let it get out of hand and there won't be hordes coming in for ages at a time.

Please find say no to one! Just take them both. How lovely they have volunteered!

Are either of them flexible so that they can cover for other volunteers' holiday and sickness?

I'd quite like to do that and if one of the regulars gives up then most probably I will.

First point, I don't know, maybe you're right. Girl A won't necessarily be boring, just not as chatty with customers (and maybe other staff). Admittedly I don't know the reliability of either but after working with lots of volunteers impressions are often accurate

STOP CALLING WOMEN GIRLS. It is patronising and insulting.

Again, was "chatty" on the person spec?

You should not be managing anything if this is your approach to recruitment.

It did mention that they would be talking to customers sometimes, and that we are a friendly shop.

I hope this isn't real because it would be a really unprofessional way to run run recruitment, volunteers or not. You should absolutely not be choosing them based on most of what you've said. Likelihood of edgy young women attracting all her friends to come and hang out in your charity shop? C'mon OP, are you 11?

Seriously, if this is real you need proper reasons. Not Applicant 1 is less cool.

Why, in theory, do you assume Woman B would be less reliable because she has the gift of the gab and is a cool dresser?

Is yours a paid role?!