I'm not sure why I decided to search for reviews on this organization today, but I did. I have not given the Jiv Daya Foundation a second thought after my interview experience a few years ago. I previously interviewed for a position with this organization despite the fact that the position paid significantly lower than my previous one. I saw it as an opportunity to finally work in international development again, especially considering there are few opportunities to work in this area in Texas. Also, I exceeded all of the requirements for the position so I thought I would be a strong candidate.
While the work of the Foundation is commendable, I must be honest when I say it was the most unprofessional interview experience I have ever had. Before the founder even sat down to interview me, I witnessed him belittling and berating his all-female Foundation staff. He treated them like his servants - and this is no exaggeration. They all seemed rather young and happy to gain experience working for the Foundation. I immediately knew this was not the type of environment I wanted to work in, but decided to proceed with the interview anyway.
The tone and line of questioning by the founder was nothing short of crude, irrelevant to the position, and unprofessional. When asking me about my previous work in a different disease area, he asked me to discuss specific chemical details about the medications used to treat the condition. As some who worked on the consumer social support side (support groups, fundraisers, camps, etc.), it was surprising he would ask these type of questions to me. Despite the irrelevance and inappropriateness of the questions, I was able to answer all but one of them - which the founder seemed delighted by. It was the loophole he needed to tell me I was not qualified for the low paying opening. He rudely told his staff to try to find a better candidate and asked me to leave his office - and even went and opened the door to show me the way out.
Also, the Foundation office is housed within the same space as the founder's lab/other for-profit business venture. It appeared to be some sort of clinical research organization. It's a strange setup, in my opinion, but perhaps it provides for a great tax write-off for the business.
In short, not being selected for the position was a gift. I later received an exceptional offer with a more widely recognized international development organization.
