How to get applications for the dates you need

The first step to receiving applications for the right dates is noticing what times of year you have the most tasks to accomplish at your place. This will let you define when you’ll need help from volunteers.

Below is a list of the tools we offer to help you save time by only responding to applications for when you need help.

1. Opening and closing positions

You can open or close any position at any time. When open, they appear on our search page and travelers can apply to them. When closed, travelers cannot contact you about these positions or see them in search results. 

2. Unavailable Dates

Block out specific dates when you don’t need volunteers so that they can’t apply for then. You can select as many days as you like when you do not want to host volunteers. Just click on the dates and save it once you're done.

If you’re receiving applications for dates too far in the future, experiment with blocking out more distant availability so you get more applications for the near future. Remember that volunteers can apply to dates up to 6 months in advance.

⚠️ Check the minimum stay length for your positions before blocking out any dates. For example: If your minimum stay is two weeks and you block out all dates except from April 1st – April 12th, no one will be able to apply because your availability is less than two weeks. 

3. Suggest new dates

Keep in mind that the majority of travelers have flexible dates, which means that their initially proposed stay is not always the only time they have available.

So when you get a message from a traveler you’re interested in, you can suggest dates that work better with your schedule, and if the traveler agrees, they can confirm their trip with your newly suggested dates.

⚠️ This option will become available when pre-approving a traveler. If you’re still not sure if someone is a good fit for your place, just respond and ask about the possibility of hosting them during different dates, which you can officially suggest when you pre-approve them:

To speed up your recruitment process, add the question “Are your dates flexible?” to the “Screening Questions” section of your positions.

4. Last Minute Option

Activate this option when you need immediate assistance from volunteers. Once activated, your open position will appear in our “Last minute” availability filter in the traveler search tool for a month, and they’ll know they have better chances of being approved.

When you fill a position, don’t forget to deactivate this option!

Avoid misaligned expectations: Even when you need volunteers urgently, don’t forget that recruitment is one of the most important phases of a successful collaborative exchange.

5. Calendar

Our Calendar tool displays all of your confirmed volunteers in one place, allowing you to manage your volunteer lineup so you always have the help necessary for your project.

Here, you can:

• See all confirmed volunteers for each one of your positions
• Verify arrival and departure dates to prepare your welcomes and goodbyes (or see you soons!) for volunteers;
• Add people not (yet! 😉) registered on Worldpackers with the “Add a Volunteer” option, making it easier to manage other people assisting with your project. Please note: do not add Worldpackers volunteers with this option because our system won’t recognize that as a Worldpackers exchange, alright? Only trips confirmed through direct messages with volunteers will be counted.

6. Host app

Get access to all of these tools in the palm of your hand with our mobile app Worldpackers for Hosts, available for Android and iOS.