Operation Smile Reviews

3.6

63% would recommend to a friend

(102 total reviews)
avatar

Kathy Magee, BSN, MSW, MEd

44% approve of CEO

52% positive business outlook

Operation Smile has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 102 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Operation Smile 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

102 reviews
2.0
12 May 2026

Meaningful work but distrustful and incompetent management

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The impact is real. Your work will literally improve the lives of kids and help improve the local health infrastructure through medical training. Work/life balance can pretty good with FTO compared to other employers. You can go to the bank, make doctor's appointments, and run errands that can only be done during the day.

Cons

Management get more and more incompetent the higher up you look. Your immediate manager has no power and doesn't understand labor laws. The department manager never has any idea what's going on. The C-suite are all so grossly incompetent that I can only fathom that they got the job through being friends of the family. Managers are disrespectful towards those below them and turn 180 into brownnosers in front of those above them (while badmouthing them behind their back - no respect). Everyone is scared s***-less of those with more "connections"/power leading to pervasive yes-man-ing of terrible ideas, under the table work to fix said terrible ideas, and just utter disorganization throughout the entire company. Every department appear to be out for themselves. I have seen competent people get laid off likely because they disagreed with the wrong people (by actually having expertise in their field). Expect to pick up the slack after layoffs, because things will only get worse. You will be overworked, underpaid, and never recognized. Neither the pay nor career progression will be transparent. Your manager may praise you privately, but don't expect a promotion or even the measly 2% raise for cost of living adjustment you would at other places. They will do nothing for you while expecting everything from you.

4.0
20 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Compensation is fair for the role and experience level. Culture and mission continues to be at the forefront.

Cons

Insurance benefits aren't the best for families

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Operation Smile Response
5mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with Operation Smile. We’re glad to hear that you find the work rewarding and feel our mission and culture continue to be front and center. It’s especially meaningful to know you view compensation as fair for the role and experience level. We also appreciate your candid feedback regarding our insurance. We recognize how important benefits are for employees and their families, and feedback like this is valuable as we regularly review and evaluate our offerings. Your input helps inform those conversations.
1.0
16 Dec 2025

Bad work/life balance, low salaries

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great cause Big impact Great team in programme countries

Cons

Leadership lack talent and vision Family owned Horrible work/life balance Low salaries

avatar
Operation Smile Response
5mo
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad our mission, impact, and the strength of our program country teams were meaningful to you. We also acknowledge your concerns around leadership, work-life balance, and compensation. These are areas we take seriously and continue to evaluate as we work to strengthen our organization and support our employees. Feedback like this helps inform ongoing improvements, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective.
Viewing 1 - 3 of 102 Reviews

Glassdoor has 132 Operation Smile reviews submitted anonymously by Operation Smile employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Operation Smile is right for you.