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MDRC Reviews
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Full-timePart-timeApprove of CEO
Gordon Berlin
23 Ratings
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"Great place to work"
StarStarStarStarStarRecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI worked at MDRC part-time
Pros
Super smart staff, lovely people, friendly, Democratic, great mission
Cons
Coddle their junior staff too much
MDRC 2018-09-15 06:22 PDTHelpful (1)
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"Research Assistant"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsApproves of CEOI worked at MDRC full-time
Pros
Projects are run by interdisciplinary teams who are committed to the work at hand and incredibly smart. I was able to develop a whole suite of transferable skills while building close relationships with supervisors and project directors. The quality and feel of the job will be project dependent: some are fascinating, cutting-edge projects, while others are more traditional (reform tweaks) that might not be so interesting.
Cons
It has an amazing reputation, but don't expect to get much outward facing credit for the work as an entry-level staff member. You'll be internally valued. They are sought out because they conduct "objective" research grounded in sound methodology and aimed at generalizable result. If you are more advocacy minded, this might not be the best fit.
MDRC 2018-08-31 10:51 PDT![MDRC Logo]()
"Horrible work ethic"
StarStarStarStarStarI worked at MDRC full-time
Pros
Clean
Great CEO
Pretty buildingCons
Certain employees aren’t around to help
Take forever to help with computer issues
Fake environment of people who pretend to care.Advice to Management
Be mindful of how to let someone go because you don’t know what situation they are in.
MDRC 2018-08-24 04:55 PDT![MDRC Logo]()
"Working at MDRC"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at MDRC full-time (Less than a year)
Pros
I love working at MDRC. The staff are so kind and there is just a great energy in the office. Everyone works hard, but the office makes it a point to make it fun when possible.
Cons
I haven't seen a downside to MDRC, which is wonderful.
MDRC 2018-06-19 08:18 PDT![MDRC Logo]()
"Technical Research Analyst"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsNeutral OutlookNo opinion of CEOI worked at MDRC full-time
Pros
Great place to learn programming skills and experimental design.
Cons
Slow pace of work, slow advancement, can be boring.
MDRC 2018-07-02 15:21 PDT![MDRC Logo]()
"Equal opportunity, culture and diversity"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at MDRC full-time
Pros
MDRC is very unbiased and gives equal opportunity.
Very welcoming.Cons
Workload can be high at times.
MDRC 2018-06-19 12:06 PDTHelpful (3)
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"Comfortable, Lacking Efficiency"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at MDRC full-time (More than 3 years)
Pros
Very smart people who are thoughtful and have nuanced understanding of the systems we're operating within.
Great work life balance. Lots of time off, flexible working arrangements, excellent benefits.
Enjoy project-based work and the opportunity to interact with different systems, populations, and research methodologies.
Highly ethical, rigorous, and considerate team members.Cons
Sink or swim form of management., and there tends to be a lot of managing up. I do not feel that the org prioritizes my career development, because they're mainly focused on filling project needs.
Organizational change is like turning the titanic. Change management practices are almost nonexistent, upper management do not seem to challenge themselves to stay technologically relevant or efficient in work processes, and leadership do not seem to take managerial responsibility for improving the performance of poorly functioning departments.
Policy relevance has room for improvement. There is a disconnect between the knowledge we as an organization generate and our ability to make it relevant in the ideologically driven world we live in. We could be better at the storytelling aspect of this work to connect the evidence to the mission of ending poverty.
There can be a disconnect between MDRC's culture and the communities we work with. Staff need to be trained to be culturally sensitive and partnership-driven in our work with social service providers. There is a lack of diversity within our senior staff; we don't always practice what we preach when it comes to building pathways to opportunity.
Too many meeting. Business is conducted in a very "old school" manner. Efficiency is laughable.Advice to Management
Bring in upper management who are great managers, rather than great researchers. Build better pathways to career growth and focus on keeping your existing staff flourishing and challenged, rather than focusing on immediate needs. Keep pushing towards a more diverse, inclusive and partnership-driven culture. Focus on rewarding performance rather than "paying dues" as a way to grow.
MDRC 2018-05-31 12:17 PDTHelpful (1)
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"Technical Research Assistant"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at MDRC full-time (Less than a year)
Pros
Working with data to analyze important social programs, and coworkers are all bright, motivated individuals who care about what they are doing.
Cons
Lack of natural light in the office.
MDRC 2018-04-27 08:33 PDT![MDRC Logo]()
"Research Analyst"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at MDRC full-time
Pros
-Opportunity to work in a collaborative, fast-paced work environment
-Colleagues are passionate about their work and there is room for growth within the organization
-Friendly working environment (Friday Parties)
-MDRC is the type of organization where one can constantly learn and grow
-Exposure and opportunity to collaborate with other national partners in equity-driven workCons
-Lack of diversity
-Can sometimes feel elitist and very hierarchical
-Slow to promote
-Lack of professional development opportunitiesAdvice to Management
-Invest time and money for employees to learn and grow within their role
MDRC 2018-04-30 11:19 PDT![MDRC Logo]()
"Good if you're looking for a career in research"
StarStarStarStarStar- Work/Life Balance
- Culture & Values
- Career Opportunities
- Comp & Benefits
- Senior Management
Doesn't RecommendPositive OutlookApproves of CEOI have been working at MDRC part-time (More than 3 years)
Pros
Flexible with regards to the percent time you work (60% and up gets benefits), well-regarded in the social policy research industry; interesting projects
Cons
Can be bureaucratic; harder path to advancement if you aren't a researcher, not a culture of staff development,
Advice to Management
Spend more time training supervisors in managing staff
MDRC 2018-03-03 16:23 PST
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