Save the Children Reviews

Pros

Save takes a very professional approach to its work, which I haven't seen in a lot of non-profits. The pay is average for large non-profits and the benefits are very good - lots of vacation, holiday and sick time. There are lots of opportunities to take online courses within the organization for professional development.

Cons

Change is constant. Because of this, people are always afraid they are losing their job or that some other similar department will make them obsolete. Some departments are more responsive than others. These are all common workplace issues though.

Advice to Senior Management

Slow down a little or invest in more people. It becomes difficult to do a good job when you are doing the work of 2 or more people.

Pros

Career growth opportunity,and family friendly policies

Cons

Programs can sometimes be threatened by funding

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the good work.

Pros

Great cause, excellent benefits. Among the past and current employees there are some very nice and talented people. The water view from CT office is superb, maybe a little ostentatious for a charity organization.

Cons

The competition is cutting throat just like in other business, but office politics and resentment are way above average. Some managers are rude and abusive. Job training is almost non existing. The environment in certain department is toxic, lots of back stabbing, not much support. The pressure/experience can be traumatizing.

Advice to Senior Management

Remember that charity starts at home. The environment/culture needs to be improved, otherwise it will be hard to retain the talents, and worse, the survival of the organization can be in jeopardy.

Pros

Work / life balance can be achieved depending upon the individual manager/supervisor you report to. Some were quite flexible and supportive while many others were quite against it. This completely surprised me given the core mission of the organizaiton - promoting the care and well being of mothers and children across the globe.

Cons

Extremely political and surprisingly cliquey. If you were not a part of the "in crowd" your ideas for improvements were ignored or ridiculed. Also the organization relies heavily - too heavily - on decision-making by consensus. If it's nearly impossible to get 2 people to agree upon a decision/conclusion, imagine the chaos when you need to include 10+. The organization needs to come to terms with the fact that its growth has positioned it to operate more like a for-profit entity and not a collective 'kumbaya' club. IMO

Advice to Senior Management

see above.

Pros

Great mission, great benefits, flexibility in most jobs

Cons

Necessarily low pay, no job growth

Advice to Senior Management

Listen and consider others views. You have experts in their field below avp

Pros

Really excellent people and mid and even some upper management positions, generally working for the mission, some great progress on key strategies, pretty good sharing of information.

Cons

Can be very political at the upper management level, staff can get lost in the domestic offices. There is sometimes too much emphasis on image, sometimes some really bad communication from senior management about tough decisions, and sometimes a bit clubby with the people who've been around for a long time. But generally the good largely out weighs the bad by far.

Advice to Senior Management

Have a little more heart when you're communicating tough decisions to staff, especially when bad economic times and alliance unification leads to staff layoffs.

Pros

Good work-life balance. Diversity. Nice people.

Cons

Detached location from the city.

Advice to Senior Management

more internship opportunities abroad would be helpful

Pros

The mission of Save the Children is to provide lasting and positive change for children. There is no argument that this is a worthy cause. Many, many children and families' lives have been changed for the better due to the amazingly good work of the staff of STC. The commitment and passion shown for those in need is amazing.

Cons

STC manages today as it did 35 years ago. Rather than a decision making process based on truth, facts and ROI's, decisions are based on political connections, tenure within the organization and how much money will it raise. Abusive, hostile treatment of employees is commonplace. Discrimintory practices are ignored, even when raised to Sr. Management. Fiscal responsibility is shallow at best. The HR department in Westport, CT is incompetent, and in need of an audit. There are violations of USAID requirements as well as EEO requirements. For an organization that employs more than 6,000 and has been around for 75 years, I was shocked by what I found.

Advice to Senior Management

Sr. Management needs to take a hard look at itself. Several members of the Sr. Management team should be replaced by professionals who know how to run a business and who understand that a non-profit can be run like a for-profit and still achieve it's mission. The disconnect between their public image, the mission and their internal behavior will be your undoing.

Pros

Child- and outcome-focused. Really getting the work done! Good strong history and legacy. Smart and talented leaders (some). Good benefits if in the field (not so great for US-based staff). Good reputation. Diverse funding base (and not overly reliant on USG funding).

Cons

Long hours, can be difficult to balance work/life. Travel can be extensive. Consensus-building management atmosphere (and consensus-building is really just about getting to lowest common demoninator).

Advice to Senior Management

It's important to get this merger with the Alliance right! It can result in a huge ROI, but it must be managed well.

Pros

Save the Children has wonder advocacy programs in the United States and Aboard. The mid-level staff are wondeful professionals to learn from and obtain a good perspective of Save the Children's mission.

Cons

Similar to most NGO's that have been around 75 years + they lack Senior Managment that have the appropirate leadership skills. Upper management and Human Resources prefereance is to avoid conflict, so it is hands off management style that feeds the rudenss among most employees towards each other. I find that the support groups do not really know how to support, they enable the employess primarly upper management that through temper tantrums. Porr management or lack there of is leading to the increasing turn over of the organization.

Advice to Senior Management

Start managing and stop hiding in your offices. Stop the polictical bickering and learn how to work together. Most importantily be accountable, less reactive and more proactive. The Humanitarin busienss is not a popularity Arena. Leave your egos at the door and make Save the Children a move effective NGO.