UNHCR reviews

3.8

72% would recommend to a friend

(841 total reviews)
avatar

António Guterres

75% approve of CEO

60% positive business outlook

UNHCR has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 841 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The UNHCR employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the ONG y Organizaciones sin fines de lucro industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

841 reviews
2.0
May 5, 2018

Working at UNHCR

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

# of Days of Vacations Medical Insurance If you have more than 5 years there then the Pension Fund becomes a positive thing if you want to make a career there. If you work less than that time then it might be a way of saving money.

Cons

Finding an international position is difficult in particular if you are a national staff and you aren't from a developed country. Once you are an international staff your conditions are better. Even though there is an online platform to apply for positions those who have connections are the ones who are selected most of the time. ( so network, network, network) There is a big salary gap between national and international staff. They hired professionals on positions that are for people without university studies (GS categories) as a result the salary is very low. This situation happens in particular with national staff. Instead, if you have no university studies and you get a GS position then your salary might be well for you if you compared it to similar positions in other organizations. They are extremely demanding but the work conditions are poor. Violation of the rights of their employees is common. If you speak up you can get fired. Vacations - or "annual leave" as they called it- are not seen as a right. It is seen as a reward for your work. If your supervisor thinks you have not done your work then your vacations are denied or it becomes very difficult to have vacations. Workplace harassment is normalised Extremely hierarchical organization High levels of stress Unhealthy environment to work To participate on internal trainings you have to go through a selection process, being an employee does not guarantee that you will be able to participate on internal trainings. Sometimes it is difficult to be selected and in order to apply your supervisor has to agree with your candidature. In addition, you have to pay for some trainings. Your social life might be diminished or completely eliminated

4.0
Nov 13, 2017

10 years at HCR

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Inspiring, dedicated, exciting - you get to do work that saves and changes lives. Many colleagues are exceptionally smart and dedicated.

Cons

The bureaucracy truly is atrocious - not only time consuming but often deeply illogical. The process is often more important than the right result.

4.0
Apr 16, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

At the UNHCR, there are many opportunities to utilize a wide range of skills. Because I interned in the Supply Chain, I learned of the many ways items are sourced and brought over to refugee beneficiaries all over the globe. You'll improve your global networking abilities, but don't get too attached to your coworkers--chances are they're leaving for mission soon.

Cons

In its essence, the UNHCR is a bureaucratic institution. Do not expect to create great changes in a fast way. These guys are quite set in their ways, and no amount of altruism can change some of these guys' minds when it comes to thinking of a new way of doing something. Also, as an intern, you don't get paid, so there's that.

Viewing 7 - 9 of 841 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,319 UNHCR reviews submitted anonymously by UNHCR employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if UNHCR is right for you.