Being a good Workwayer is important in my eyes. Besides it being the decent thing to do, it will help you enjoy the cultural exchange even more.
To some people, these tips may seem obvious or like common sense, but for others, not so much…
Which is why I put together 10 tips to be an amazing Workawayer.
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#1 Understand The Workaway Philosophy
Part of the workaway philosophy is that they are,
“Building a sharing community of global travelers who genuinely want to see the world whilst contributing and giving back to the places they visit, alongside our welcoming hosts, ready to receive visitors who can help out”.
The whole point of why the Workaway platform was created was because of companies charging ridiculous prices to arrange for people to volunteer abroad with almost none of the proceeds going to the local community.
Workaway saw this as an opportunity to break away from tradition and change the volunteering exchange narrative for the better.
An example of this is that they have never paid for advertising, meaning that their growth has been organic.
Their exposure is from people telling others about it, also known as word of mouth.
Another example is having no investors in the company.
This gives them the freedom to keep the Workaway platform in line with their original values and also the ability to keep the workaway membership price low and affordable.
One of my favorite parts of the Workaway philosophy is that they give back to local communities in meaningful ways.
They supported local projects in Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mexico, and Morocco and are always looking to hear from volunteers about any new potential opportunities.
You can read more about it on their philosophy page. So as you can see, Workaway is not in it to make a profit.
They are doing this because they want to provide an alternative, promote solidarity, and help people make connections.
Are you interested in joining the Workaway community? Sign up here.
#2 Good Communication
Communicating is easier said than done for some people.
Since people communicate differently, especially when things are international, both a Workawayer and host need to be purposeful in this area.
Good communication needs to be in every step of the way. This starts when creating a profile.
After you explain yourself and your intentions in a workaway profile, it is still important to do this when you message a host and if you do a video call to virtually meet the workaway host (which I suggest).
A video call can help both of you feel more comfortable with each other so you both can have confidence and know what to expect.
If you do decide to go ahead with a particular workaway experience, it is a good idea to check in with the host a few times before you plan to leave for it.
This is especially helpful if you plan a few months before so you do not find out that something came up and now your host is unavailable.
Even if everything is still set to go ahead, it would be good to reiterate your travel plans.
Such as, how you will be arriving and at what time, if you need the host to do anything for your arrival, etc.
This will hopefully eliminate any mixups upon arrival.
During the first few days of your new workaway, it will be important to make sure you and your host are still on the same page about what is expected of both of you.
Continue to keep open lines of communication during your time with the host.
If you plan on leaving before or after the originally agreed time, make sure to discuss or disclose to the host.
#3 Respect
Just as you would treat people with respect in any other aspect of life, it is the same for a workaway host.
They have thoughts and feelings just like anyone else.
As a Workawayer, you are coming into their life and their home, and respecting them is a part of doing that.
It is important to stay away from the mindset that you are only a temporary part of their life so it does not matter how you act and how you treat them and their property.
Not only will this likely end in you being asked to leave a workaway project and then receive a bad workaway review, but it is not a nice thing to do to someone else generally.
When doing a Workaway in a culture that is drastically different from your own, it is good to do research beforehand so you know how to respect the hosts properly.
Even if you do not mean to harm someone, it can still happen. This only highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity.
#4 Treat Others The Way You Want To Be Treated
Many might know the ‘Golden Rule’, which is essential that you should treat others the way you would like to be treated.
Though this should be done in everyday life, it is especially important when doing a workaway experience.
Many people who travel the world by doing Workaway often end up becoming hosts themselves later on.
So it is good to remember and think about how you as a Workaway host would want to be treated by a Workawayer because it definitely could happen!
The ‘Golden Rule’ goes beyond only how you should treat a Workaway host into how you should be when you travel.
When someone visits a place that is not their home, they are more likely to not treat it as well since they do not live there.
This is especially evident in overly touristy sites and areas of the world.
One example that quickly comes to mind is cruising or cruise ships because they tend to stop at many places where tourists can disembark to experience a new country or city for the day.
Cruise trip routes are likely to be the same among many cruise liners so the stops tend to end up being disrespected and are also a dumping ground for the cruise’s waste.
#5 Make Sure To Have The Right Intentions
It is good to assess your intention for being a Workawayer. Are you doing it for the right reasons?
Though you do receive free accommodation and free food (usually), that should not be one’s sole purpose for volunteering.
Ideally, you should be able to relate to the Workaway philosophy and believe in the workaway project you are doing.
Being inspired will cause you to be naturally motivated.
This will not only help the workaway host to enjoy your time with them, but you will have so much more fun.
Read more about how to be a good Workawayer.
Having the right attitude is so important and here’s why.
Say you go to do a workaway project that you are not excited about.
It seems like it will be worth it though because it is in a place that you are dying to see but can not afford to pay for accommodation.
You will most likely
1) end up not enjoying the project, but still do it well
2) not enjoy the project and do it without much effort
3) end up leaving early because you hate it.
What I am trying to point out is that, someone is less likely to be a good volunteer if they do not enjoy what they are doing.
This hurts the whole platform of Workaway because if Workawayers only slack off, there will be no point in hosts inviting them to stay.
In the same way, if Workaway hosts abuse or overwork their volunteers then there is no point to Workaway.
The bottom line, become a Workawayer for the right reasons!
Use something like Booking.com or HostelWorld if you simply need accommodation.
Plus, there are so many alternatives to hostels and hotels now that you have to check out!
Homestay is great for finding local families to stay with at an affordable price.
You get to feel right at home when you arrive and it’s perfect for short or long term stays.
Get €20/$25 off your first Homestay trip!
TrustedHousesitters helps you stay in wonderful places for free by house sitting and caring for cute pets.
You can find unique & amazing accommodation that would normally be hundreds per night!
#6 Choose Workaway Projects Wisely
Part of making sure to be doing Workaway for the right reasons is choosing the right project for you.
This means taking a good, hard look in the mirror… metaphorically of course.
What I mean by this is that you have to think about who you are, what type of skills you have, what are you comfortable doing?
These are factors that will help you decide if you will enjoy doing a particular workaway.
There is a big difference in being able to work on a farm and enjoying farming.
I know for sure that I would not enjoy farm life, at least not in the traditional sense.
It would have to be something unique to me like making olive oil or wine (not exactly farming but close).
No matter which type of Workaway project that you choose, protection is a must when traveling!
Having a back up plan is crucial just in case something goes wrong.
I advise getting travel insurance when planning your trip.
I use Safetywing Insurance since they are amazing & reliable with wide coverage plans. Check out these tips for choosing travel insurance!
#7 Honesty
Though this may seem like a no brainer, it still needs to be said for somebody I’m sure.
Honesty is needed for yourself and the host. As discussed above, you will need to be honest with yourself to choose a workaway project wisely.
The main point of this tip is for the Workawayer to host though.
This tip inevitably goes along the same lines as what was talked about in the ‘Respect’ section.
Being honest with someone is a general life thing that should be happening anyways.
I also think to truly respect someone, you should always be honest with them. So they go hand in hand.
In regards to Workaway, being a good communicator requires you to be honest.
If you were to struggle to be a Workawayer for a host, it is essential to have a frank conversation about what is going on.
I think most people would be fine with taking more time to explain what is expected of a volunteer or a particular project’s instructions.
I am sure the workaway host would rather you ask for clarification so you can do something correctly the first time!
Plus, usually people can tell when someone is lying or being fake.
Making connections with your hosts will be much easier if you are authentic and genuine.
#8 Flexible & Open-Minded
I have emphasised how important choosing a Workaway project is, but on the other hand, Workaway is also about trying new things.
Learning, adapting, and getting outside of your comfort zone is part of it.
An amazing thing is that you can find projects that have flexibility, so if you do not enjoy one particular activity, there is a chance of something else.
On the other end of the spectrum, some hosts need quite a variety of different jobs to be completed or helped with.
While it is essential to know what you are getting yourself into, it is just as important to be open to trying and learning.
You might be surprised at a newfound talent or passion.
One last point, even if you have already done similar Workaway experiences, do not assume that each host does everything the same way.
Make sure to be open-minded to their particular ways of doing things.
#9 Be Present
This is a difficult one, especially in the times that we live in now.
I am guilty of not being present in the moment and instead busy consuming online content.
There is a time and place for that or I would be out of a job and you would not be reading this.
I believe you can be a good Workawayer and still be connected online of course.
The point I am trying to make is that you should try to be intentional about how you spend your time.
You are more likely going to make more of a connection to your hosts if you are not afraid to spend time with them when you are not required per the working agreement.
There will only be a certain amount of time that you get to be around those hosts and experience that particular place.
Being in the moment will give a deeper, more fulfilling Workaway volunteer experience.
#10 Have Boundaries
Last, but not least, boundaries are an absolute necessity. To me personally, this is the most important tip I can give you.
In any situation, I strongly dislike being taken advantage of and when I see other people being taken advantage of.
That is probably why I am most adamant about this point. Even if you do not follow any of the other tips, please take this one to heart.
The reason why this has to be a tip is that it is a real issue among Workawayers.
I am not going to lie, there are and will be Workaway hosts that try to take advantage of their Workawayers.
There are plenty of horror stories where hosts ask too much of their volunteers, do not provide them with what was agreed upon, etc.
For all of those bad hosts, there are amazing hosts too!
I have a whole post dedicated to the safety of Workaway, it should help you weed out the crazies from your host list.
Even if the host is not actively trying to overwork you, it can happen subtly and before you know it, you’ve worked an extra 10 hours that week.
In these cases, you need to be honest with the host about how you are feeling and reiterate the previously agreed on hours.
Do not be afraid to stand up for yourself! There are exceptions to this of course.
There are times where Workawayers genuinely love volunteering and do not mind going over on their hours.
If that is the case, make sure to send me the host’s profile so I can volunteer with them too.
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