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    International Rescue Committee Reviews

    Updated December 19, 2018
    331 reviews

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    3.9
    StarStarStarStarStar
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    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
    International Rescue Committee President and CEO David Miliband
    David Miliband
    131 Ratings

    Employee Reviews

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    Pros

    • "Great work environment and coworkers" (in 40 reviews)

    • "My supervisors were excellent leaders and I learned a lot from them" (in 13 reviews)

    Cons

    • "Low paying- non profit as you'd expect" (in 20 reviews)

    • "Entry-level positions have been replaced by unpaid internships and AmeriCorps service years, making for high turnover and underpaid workers" (in 17 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. Helpful (2)

      "Education Caseworker"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at International Rescue Committee full-time

      Pros

      Coworkers were amazing, work was rewarding and challenging, a lot of ownership over programs and projects as well as room for growth. Amazing time off and benefits.

      Cons

      Low pay -- expected of a non profit so not really a con.

      Advice to Management

      Keep giving employees opportunities for growth and taking chances on new employees.

    2. "Meaningful work, disorganized"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Employment Specialist
      Current Employee - Employment Specialist

      I have been working at International Rescue Committee full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Meaningful work with clients, passionate and hardworking colleagues, good benefits

      Cons

      Very little investment in efficient organizational and HR systems, poor management, lack of growth opportunity, low wages (good for sector)

      Advice to Management

      -Invest time and resources into better organization systems: internal policies and procedures, databases that function properly and reduce redundant inputs
      -Recruit better managers and leaders and create more pathways for growth within the organization

      3. Join the International Rescue Committee team
      See Our Latest Jobs

    3. "Immigration Assistant"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Immigration Assistant in Silver Spring, MD
      Former Employee - Immigration Assistant in Silver Spring, MD
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at International Rescue Committee (Less than a year)

      Pros

      Amazing staff who love what they do.

      Cons

      Pay is low and not enough office space.

    4. "Passionate Coworkers"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Analyst in New York, NY
      Current Employee - Analyst in New York, NY
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at International Rescue Committee full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      Meaningful work, passionate coworkers, interesting projects and challenges

      Cons

      Inefficient org structure creates siloes and redundant work, internal politics

    5. "Case Management Intern"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      Pros

      It is a very rewarding experience to work with and resettle refugees, everyone is very passionate about what they do and meeting families is an amazing opportunity

      Cons

      There is sometimes a lack of organization or agency as certain rules/regulations come from HQ / the government
      It can be difficult to manage expectations of clients versus reality, supervisors also may become somewhat immune to the difficulties clients face after many years of working there

      Advice to Management

      a deeper analysis of how service provision can be improved to clients and thoughtfulness

    6. "Great Organization"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Case Manager
      Current Employee - Case Manager
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at International Rescue Committee part-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      I am proud to be working at the International Rescue Committee, I feel that I make a small difference in the world through my role. The office culture is warm and friendly and the work is satisfying.

      Cons

      Not much room for growth.

    7. Helpful (1)

      "Great benefits, smart colleagues, meaningful work but also a non-profit sweatshop with terrible office space."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at International Rescue Committee full-time

      Pros

      Great benefits, super smart colleagues, meaningful work. I had 5 weeks of vacation plus sick and holidays after 3 years.

      Cons

      Too focused on metrics and "measurable outcomes". Rarely given time for learning/professional development. Older employee pushed out for newer ones. Have a reputation in the broader NGO field for treating staff as disposable.

      Advice to Management

      Just because you can always get more smart, engaged young people in this field doesn't mean you should be treating staff as expendable. Big gap between headquarters staff and others in the U.S. in terms of privileges and culture.

    8. "Intern"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      Pros

      - Learned a lot
      - Always something to do
      - Inclusive Environment
      - Great team

      Cons

      - Unpaid but the experience was worth it

      Advice to Management

      Keep up the good work

    9. Helpful (4)

      "It really depends..."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in New York, NY
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in New York, NY
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at International Rescue Committee full-time

      Pros

      The people I worked with were the best takeaway from my experience. Although the office environment was fairly deadly (undrinkable coffee and no natural light in many areas), the passionate and intelligent staff made coming to work enjoyable (when people actually came to the office instead of working remotely - it was often very empty). My takeaways: I learned a lot about the humanitarian sector and have some great friends and connections. The field staff in international offices are also inspiring, dedicated professionals.

      Cons

      The organization is changing. Over the years I worked there it grew quickly, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the headquarters office is turning into more of a corporate working place in that there are questionable donors supporting the organization and I think there are some ethical issues there to be unpacked. There was no transparency about salaries and people who had been there for years are earning less than people from the private sector who come in and don't have the same skills or experience. As far as my personal experience goes, it really all depends what department you are in, who your supervisor is, and if they are able to effectively manage you. I was poorly managed and the situation only worsened. I have actual trauma from working there. My role was at times very unclear, there was internal competition, and I was not given the support and guidance I needed to improve upon things after getting negative feedback. I was ignored by management when asking for guidance and misled by HR internally.

      Advice to Management

      Don't treat your staff who have worked nights and weekends for you for years like they are disposable and ignore them. If you say you care about your employees and their needs, act like it. Overall, there should be more transparency in salary bands (each salary band has a huge range - something like $20,000 between pay grades). Invest a little more in your staff and I think it will go a long way.

    10. "Overworked staff, don't care enough about refugees"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Intern in San Jose, CA
      Former Employee - Intern in San Jose, CA
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at International Rescue Committee (More than a year)

      Pros

      Good direct service. Good location, close to my house.

      Cons

      Cold staff, unfriendly to most people. Absolutely zero organization to make sure things get done. Random interns in and out, unhappy, treated poorly. Andrea in particular was horrible.

      Advice to Management

      Pay attention to those who are burnt out, and conversely; those who have a ton of energy.