Mission-driven passionate place to work! - Anonymous employee National Organization on Disability Employee Review

NOD is a mission-driven organization that attracts people who are deeply committed to increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The organization has built an impressive roster of corporate partners and a board of corporate and civic leaders to champion this mission. As NOD is powered by a small committed staff, team members are regularly given chances to take on progressive responsibility, develop new skills, and work closely with the board and corporate partners. Others have mentioned concern that employees who work hard are rewarded with more work, however, my experience was that working hard meant opportunities for growth. The CEO invests in people and I was given learning and growth opportunities that would have been hard to come by in a larger, more hierarchical organization. Yes, with those opportunities came lots of work, but also tremendous professional development. Through my interactions with the NOD board of directors (who were known for their good, probing questions to ensure that we were always delivering on our mission), I received an invaluable education in strategy and business leadership. (To contextualize another reviewer’s remarks about board meetings -- they are a lot of work because the board is an important source of support for the organization, so you have to be well-prepared, but the board is always given accurate information to govern the organization.) In terms of atmosphere, the NOD ethos is hard work tempered with camaraderie. Team members enjoy one another's company and often grab drinks together at the end of a long week. During my time at NOD it was not unusual to hear laughter pouring over the cubicle walls and for team members to socialize in and outside the office. Members of the leadership team had an open door policy; solutions-oriented feedback was respected and often acted upon.

As a small fast-paced organization with a big mission, workload can be heavy and requires a high level of personal initiative, planning, and comfort with change. Because there is not a lot of excess capacity, team members must be willing to fill gaps as needed and take responsibility to help create changes that you want to see. While this can mean that NOD is not a fit for everyone, it creates a tight knit team environment.

I've consulted for NOD on and off for the past 10 years. I keep coming back for two main reasons: the substance of the work and the people. NOD is relentlessly rigorous and thoughtful as it works to improve the employment landscape for people with disabilities. It does not take a passive, cookie-cutter approach - supporting the work requires schooling yourself up and thinking creatively. The leadership is visionary, among the smartest people I've ever worked with. I have learned and grown tremendously from them through being part of the organization's evolution over the past decade. The standards are incredibly high - be prepared to push yourself beyond what you think you might be capable of but know that you're doing it as part of a hardworking, smart, collegial team who are working in the same way.

I think the "Cons" are more about organizational fit than anything negative. NOD works best for people who are happy in a dynamic organization. People thrive here when they are open to positions evolving to meet organizational needs. It's a small organization that by strategy launches new initiatives, requiring staff to embrace change. For people who like rigid job descriptions and a traditional career ladder, NOD is likely not the best place. For people who embrace the mission and want to stretch themselves, NOD can be an amazing place to work. The size does mean that there are limited growth opportunities for junior staff, but a few years at NOD is as good as grad school and will bear you well in your career.