Working at Youth For Understanding in Bethesda, MD: 2 Employee Job Reviews by Real Employee working in Bethesda, MD Area

What do you like about working at Youth For Understanding?

"Easy to get along with everyone. Departments don't collaborate except for departmental meetings. Often feels like company is struggling to adjust to change. Can be stressful during placement crunch, and work can become unorganized/overloaded with the crunch."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Know that there is little room for advancement and that the department heads/directors have been in their position for decades. There is little change that occurs."

What don't you like about working at Youth For Understanding?

"Not a very good work-life balance. Salaries are very low. Coworkers often complain about their work. Office feels like a dungeon."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"I would aim for lower placement numbers. Goals are set way too high. Not enough department collaboration. If something is wrong, no one tries to fix it. It's left for someone else to fix."

What do you like about working at Youth For Understanding?

"Technically, it is one of the most challenging positions I have ever taken. Rather than building the software and systems, I am taking a 50+ year old organization and replacing all the paper workflow processes with software we are developing in-house. At the same time, I am completely rebuilding the infrastructure as well."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"The goals of the organization are wonderful and incredibly rewarding. Make sure that what you want to accomplish is possible and try to get a sense of how you will be affected by all the conflict that is internal to the organization."

What don't you like about working at Youth For Understanding?

"The culture is an outgrowth of the lack of leadership and organization mission. There are 10+ directors and they do not work together. The overall environment is one of disharmony and open antagonism towards others."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"I have suggested many times that the CEO should engage a coach and the organizational chart changed a bit so that it is not so flat at the director tier. Lastly, I am leading an effort to develop a real and tangible organization plan that spans three years."