Politics and inefficiency - Anonymous employee UNICEF Employee Review

2.0
Jul 17, 2013
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Higher than market average pay rate, additional perks if you are recruited as international professional. Used to be job security, but Unicef is currently shaken by series of workforce transformation initiatives, which in plain words means offshoring, outsourcing and job cuts.

Cons

Bureaucratic, inefficient and very slow. No resilience, and change is being opposed, rather than embraced in many cases. No real performance enforcement, so people who haven't been working for years are plentiful, and no one knows how to get rid of them. The interoffice politics are abundant and often used as coverups for non compliance. No clear vision, thus many operate purely on transactional level.

Explore other reviews about UNICEF

5.0
May 15, 2026
Anonymous intern
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-great exposure to a UN agency with one of the strongest and clearest mandates

Cons

-the exposure and experience does not make up for the fact that interns are unpaid

4.0
Mar 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Working at the UN was an amazing experience, being able to take part in such a significant mission was great.

Cons

As I was not a full-time volunteer and was also responsible for fundraising in my territory, I felt that I did not receive the same treatment as the other volunteers. It was a challenging role and experience, and at times it felt like my well-being was not fully considered.

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