Does UNHCR pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, UNHCR employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.0 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at UNHCR. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at UNHCR?

72% of UNHCR employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated UNHCR 3.3 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.9 for culture and values and 3.2 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at UNHCR?

Intern (84) , Protection Associate (30) , Senior Protection Assistant (22) , Internship (21) , Protection Assistant (20) , Registration Assistant (20) , Protection Officer (18) , Rsd Associate (18) , Associate (13) , Consultant (12) , Interpreter/Translator (12) , Administrative Assistant (11) , Interpreter (11) , Officer (11) , Associate Protection Officer (10)

What are the pros of working at UNHCR according to real employee reviews?

"Salary is good and high." ((in 83 reviews)); "Great colleagues" ((in 45 reviews)); "Great people to work with and learn from" ((in 41 reviews)); "Great Working environment" ((in 25 reviews)); "Provides a good opportunity for young professionals to network with like" ((in 25 reviews))

What are the cons of working at UNHCR according to real employee reviews?

"The HR is awful and there is no job security." ((in 24 reviews)); "No work life balance" ((in 12 reviews)); "not much work to do" ((in 7 reviews)); "Too much bureaucracy" ((in 7 reviews)); "seekers thus get sacrificed regularly on the altar of this revolving door of international managers." ((in 6 reviews))

What are employees saying about UNHCR layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about UNHCR layoffs and their outlook for job security at UNHCR in 2026.

UNHCR reviews

3.8

72% would recommend to a friend

(841 total reviews)

António Guterres

75% approve of CEO

60% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Diversity & inclusion

4.0

Compensation and benefits

3.9

Culture & values

3.3

Work/Life balance

3.2

Career opportunities

3.1

Senior management

UNHCR has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 841 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The UNHCR employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the ONG y Organizaciones sin fines de lucro industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

841 reviews

4.0

Apr 16, 2015

Great insight into learning how a UN institution works

Intern

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

At the UNHCR, there are many opportunities to utilize a wide range of skills. Because I interned in the Supply Chain, I learned of the many ways items are sourced and brought over to refugee beneficiaries all over the globe. You'll improve your global networking abilities, but don't get too attached to your coworkers--chances are they're leaving for mission soon.

Cons

In its essence, the UNHCR is a bureaucratic institution. Do not expect to create great changes in a fast way. These guys are quite set in their ways, and no amount of altruism can change some of these guys' minds when it comes to thinking of a new way of doing something. Also, as an intern, you don't get paid, so there's that.

1.0

Mar 13, 2023

Toxic Environment

Assistant operations data management officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

you can gain insight into how decisions are made, how tasks are assigned and executed, how departments and teams interact with each other, and how the company as a whole functions. This knowledge can be valuable if you are seeking to work for the company, invest in it, or simply have a deeper understanding of how it operates. It can also help you gain a competitive edge in the job market by demonstrating your knowledge and understanding of corporate operations.

Cons

It is hard to imagine to express the toxic environment without any negative opinion of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), which is a subsidiary of the United Nations. The UNHCR is more toxic than one might expect, possibly due to its size as a large corporation. The author believes that the lack of efficiency in the organization is directly related to the people working inside, who lack vision and the will to do anything helpful for the organization or refugees. The lack of capacity, which has led to the creation of units where only like-minded individuals are welcomed, and anyone who tries to help or innovate is immediately discarded by hostility. The organization as not just incapable but also arrogant. Overall, it is an organization that is not functioning effectively and is failing to provide refugees with the assistance they are entitled to.

2.0

Oct 24, 2018

Great mission, poor leadership.

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great mission, good salaries for management, stocked kitchens with snacks

Cons

Poor management skills across the board, poor hiring practices, waste lots of money that should go to cause, toxic environment, rude staff

Viewing 10 - 12 of 841 Reviews

Jobs at UNHCR

Snr PSP Individual Giving Assc

Ciudad de México

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UNHCR

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Ratings by category

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Great insight into learning how a UN institution works

Toxic Environment

Great mission, poor leadership.

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