Oxfam reviews

3.9

66% would recommend to a friend

(1,669 total reviews)
avatar

Mark Goldring

68% approve of CEO

52% positive business outlook

Oxfam has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 1,669 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Oxfam employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Non-profit and NGO industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews
1.0
Apr 19, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Most coworkers are knowledgeable and helpful.

Cons

Five managers in my first year, the turnover rate is scary. It’s all the more problematic because there is no clear overarching strategy meaning that with every new manager, priorities shifted and we started plans over - wasting time and resources. It is frustrating and demotivating. There are also very few opportunities for growth. It also seems like hiring practices are based on tokenism, which is worrisome given the guiding principles of the organization. The environment is toxic and it makes it uncomfortable to share ideas and opinions. Management will not address issues and instead waste donor money hiring consultants. Management also have clear favourites, which creates weird dynamics. I know colleagues who have been bullied by management in attempts to push them out of the organization. Most people working there are miserable. I hesitated to post review because it’s very critical and I prefer to avoid negative posts online but this job took a toll on my mental health and I encourage people considering opportunities with Oxfam Canada to reconsider. I hope Oxfam Canada is able to turn things around as the programmes it implements are really important.

1.0
Jun 8, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Colleagues were knowledgeable and most were helpful. Salary and benefits were decent but overall nothing impressive.

Cons

There is no transparency within management and their decision making. It is a group of people who are more interested in elevating their personal profiles and will stop at nothing to remove any people that question them. Management also lacks diversity, and any managers (both SMT and managers) are tokens and that is all the organization cares about. For an organization that has black and brown people plastered all over its walls, it is not at all reflective of the people they work with especially at management levels. Lastly, there are little to no opportunities to grow unless you happen to be buddies with someone in upper management.

2.0
Aug 30, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* Amazing learning opportunity * Interesting and committed humanitarian and program team * Some potential for industrious, independent workers * Employees who are willing and able to mentor and support do so with tremendous results * Some opportunity for travel

Cons

* Unionized environment has created a culture of complacency, in which some employees feel they're untouchable and some managers fear union reprisal. * Years of poor management and leadership have created a crisis of cohesion -- it's very difficult to get anything done that requires the input of more than one or two people. Very few people work together and/or trust one another. A few employees are openly hostile towards others. * Senior management is so weak that many employees who require additional support/instruction/management in order to complete tasks on time and as required get zero feedback and face no repercussions for shoddy, incomplete work. As a consequence, morale is the pits. * Due to funding instability and shortfalls, opportunities for advancement and career growth are limited * Mentorship opportunities are few and far between. Many employees are so overworked, they can barely think about supporting new hires and/or subordinates.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 1,669 Reviews

Glassdoor has 2,307 Oxfam reviews submitted anonymously by Oxfam employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Oxfam is right for you.