A Place for Desperate Job Seekers - Technical Program Officer Global Environment Centre Employee Review

Good working experience, exposed to many different projects, good benefits and medical. Friendly colleague

Pressured environment. Hard to give out your opinion. Will get scolded everytime. Small office but many workers, so its a bit crowded.

The cafe located downstairs is convenient and offers good food options, which is a small but pleasant benefit during workdays. Internship allowances and work-related claims are paid adequately and processed without delays, demonstrating reliability in administrative and payroll matters.

Fresh graduates and interns are often viewed primarily through the lens of their lack of experience rather than being guided and developed. When issues occur, responsibility is frequently shifted to junior staff, even when decisions were made by senior personnel to continue outdated practices. This creates a culture where seniority is valued over accountability and work quality. New suggestions are commonly dismissed, with a strong preference for “the way things have always been done.” This mindset limits awareness of new opportunities and risks that come with changing times, and may hinder innovation and long-term improvement. Some senior officers, supervisors, and managers show limited empathy toward staff. Expectations placed on junior employees often do not reflect differences in compensation, authority, or decision-making power. Additionally, punctuality expectations are not consistently modeled by leadership, which affects morale and fairness. Leadership would benefit from leading by example. Feedback is sometimes directed at individuals’ personalities rather than the quality or outcome of their work. Delays are often attributed to staff performance, even when reviews or approvals are provided very late sometimes only days before meetings making it difficult to deliver efficiently. Tasks are occasionally assigned at the last minute, including unexpected weekend work, without adequate notice or planning. This affects work-life balance and increases unnecessary stress. Approval processes can be inconsistent and appear dependent on supervisors’ moods. At times, communication becomes harsh or inappropriate, which discourages open discussion and healthy collaboration. Successful outcomes are often claimed as management achievements, while failures are attributed to staff or “poor management by the team.” This imbalance affects trust and motivation. Although teamwork and unity are emphasized verbally, staff are sometimes excluded from celebrations or informal gatherings. Suggestions to improve workflow or communication are not welcomed, which can make employees feel undervalued and disconnected from the team. There is a strong belief that closeness between managers and staff reduces professionalism. This has led to excessive micromanagement and limited consideration of employees’ personal challenges or working conditions. Professionalism could coexist with mutual respect and understanding. The environment is not ideal for technical learning. Some supervisors rely heavily on memory instead of tools (e.g., version history or system tracking), lack familiarity with current technology, and are unwilling to learn new skills. There are also concerns about poor task management and delayed responses being attributed to others rather than addressed objectively. Staff are occasionally provided with sample reports as reference for new work. However, when the same format and approach are followed, the work is later criticized as incorrect. In some cases, it was confirmed that the sample provided by the supervisor contained errors, yet responsibility was still placed on staff for not identifying these issues without prior clarification. Additionally, reports are sometimes criticized for being too technical or too polished, despite closely matching previously approved examples. This inconsistency in expectations creates confusion and reflects a lack of clear standards and effective guidance.