How to be a great Workaway host
Before embarking on the experience itself, a host needs to be prepared mentally and practically for a visitor—it’s not always easy sharing your space or adapting to someone else's as a workawayer. It goes without saying that you need to be welcoming, understanding, friendly and patient. Having a genuine curiosity to learn about other cultures/languages along with a sense of humour are great assets too. If you have travelled yourself, you’ll be able to put yourself in their shoes more readily. In fact, if you’ve never gotten over that travel bug, this is the next best thing. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get the most out of your experience as a host:
Start with Clear Ideas
Have a clear idea of what you need help with, the time it will take and the input or support a workawayer will need from you. Decide how many you need. Couples may offer diverse skills and are often more independent. Individuals tend to develop a closer relationship with the host and may need more support initially. Decide upon the dates when you are available to receive them and specify the days/hours when you’ll need an extra pair of hands. Consider if any aspect of your lifestyle, eating or sleeping arrangements which newcomers would need to know about.
Set Up a Transparent Profile
Write a profile which includes details of the optimum length of the stay and the nature of the help required, plus the working and living environment. Some readers may not be native speakers, so make sure the language used is clear and unambiguous. Be honest about any pros and cons and let the workawayer decide if it still interests them or not. Say what your location has to offer, but also be clear about its limitations too. Before people travel there is a tendency to romanticize about the place that they are visiting, e.g., fill in the blanks. It is important to know what it was that attracted the person to your location and then be sure to point out anything which might be different from how they imagined (e.g., distance to the nearest beach/town centre, size of bedroom, pets, transport, etc.).
Strike a Chord
Await responses. Consider which potential workawayer appears to have the characteristics and aptitude you are looking for. Read their profiles and any feedback they have received from previous hosts. Are you looking for certain skills? If not, choose someone who appears easy-going and enthusiastic. Has the volunteer lived/worked away from home before? Have they got any allergies/dietary requirements which will be difficult to accommodate? If you are unsure, ask them why they decided to write to you and how they visualize being able to help you. Go for the person or persons who most resonates with you. For the rest, it is important to reply however underwhelming the workawayer appears to you. Not only is this common courtesy, it keeps your reply rate and average reply time in check (displayed on your host profile page). You only need to reply once for each request. To save time, use the existing reply templates or set up your own to cover those situations (e.g., copy/pasters, one-liners, no pertinent skills, etc.).
Mutual Benefit
Once you are close to confirming a visit from a workawayer, you should make sure that both of you are clear about the conditions of the stay and the expectations you both have. What is the reason for the volunteer wanting to stay with you? Knowing what it is that has motivated the person to come will also mean that, during their stay, they get the opportunities they need to enjoy those aspects. Whether it be sightseeing, practising their language skills, spending time on the beach or doing their favourite sport. Once you feel that the arrangement could be reciprocal, you might suggest a short Messenger or Zoom videocall to firm things up.
Prep Work
Using a little foresight and organization means that your workawayer will feel more comfortable and able to help you more effectively from the start. Let them know what to expect as far as weather conditions go and if there is anything which would be useful for them to bring regarding clothes, sun cream, mosquito repellent, own beach towel, boots, etc. Depending on the nature of the tasks to be done make sure that you have sufficient tools, materials and time put aside to settle them in. Your volunteer will be excited, but also apprehensive about the visit. Their arrival and their first impression will hopefully ease any concerns they may have.
Offering to greet them at the bus/train station or airport is a good first move. Making sure that their sleeping/living area is clean and comfortable will help them feel at home. Any details that you know about their food preferences mean you could stock up on a few goodies. Picking them up a local map or providing them with information which could be of interest to them, all help to make them feel welcome. This initial input requires some time, thought and effort—but it is worth it.
Help Them Feel at Home
Once they have arrived, it is important to dedicate some time for you to get to know one another. Take time to show your visitor around as well as how things work e.g., washing machine, internet password, etc. Make them aware of any house rules you may have (smoking, drinking, taking shoes off, etc.) as well as telling them about the facilities which can use. Prepare a meal together, go for a walk or play chess … whatever appeals. There is always something which can be learned from another. Showing interest and respect for the other is a great foundation for a good host/workawayer relationship.
Be Supportive
Over the first few days, your workawayer may need guidance as far as finding their way around (e.g., post office, bank, pharmacy, etc.). They’ll also need to familiarize themselves with the new environment, diet and routine. Be patient as their life here with you may be worlds apart from what they are used to.
Make the Most of Their Experience
Remember to bear in mind the reasons that your workawayer chose you and your locality and wherever possible look out for opportunities for them to be able to fulfill them. Whether it is practising your native language, getting involved in cultural or community activities, seeing the sights or exploring the natural landscape. Showing that you care by going that extra mile is what it's all about. Taking it a step further, you could put together a visitors’ book with entries suggesting interesting things to places to see and do. Include travellers’ perspectives and opinions.
Set Aside Some Quality Time
Even if you are both very busy, do try to maintain regular daily contact and share some mealtimes together. Giving each other feedback and maintaining open and friendly conversation means that there is less chance for misunderstandings or confusion. Simultaneously you should be getting to know each other pretty well by now. Perhaps you have even found common interests in music, art, sport, cooking or gardening. Sharing anecdotes, opinions, recipes, cultural differences, philosophies on the meaning of life … all make for great topics of conversation and friendship building. Their insights into the way of life in your locality will help you become more in-tune with the mindset of a newcomer … and what quirks or customs need explaining!
Be Flexible
Workaway encourages both parties to be adaptable and considerate of one another. Sometimes things don’t go to plan, so it’s important to be flexible and accommodating, and if necessary, have a back-up plan in place. As a host it is possible that unforeseen circumstances could mean that a workawayer has to leave early. It is important for hosts to realize that their workawayers should not be so indispensable that the host is lost if they leave—this is too much of a burden to place upon them. Conversely, if your plans change, make sure to advise the workawayer long in advance. Consider that they have may booked transportation and incurred other costs that may be not be completely refundable (or not at all!) if you cannot host them at the last minute. This should always be a last resort and you should make every possible effort to honour your commitment or offer an acceptable alternative.
Adapted/updated from: https://www.workaway.info/en/stories/10-steps-great-workaway-host