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Pathfinder International

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Pathfinder International Reviews

3.6

79% would recommend to a friend

(151 total reviews)

Lois Quam

67% approve of CEO

54% positive business outlook

Pathfinder International has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 151 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Pathfinder International 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

151 reviews
1.0
15 Oct 2017

Grieve for what was an incredible organization

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

For 60 years, Pathfinder had pioneered in health and rights, and in its commitment to quality and bravery. Pathfinder would engineer new frontiers for women and communities and back it up in word and deed. We delivered for those most in need.

Cons

What began as a well intentioned re-org was quickly co-opted by someone in leadership who proported to be acting in the best interests of others but who has since demonstrated she is solely out for her own gain. With the guise of open collaboration and respect for honest exchange of ideas, the leader of this re-org used staff's willingness to believe in her to gain information that she then used to identify those who voiced ideas that differed from her own, and then set out to have them removed. When the new CEO arrived and freely added her own agenda (also not in the best interest of the organization) to this stage, things became dark quickly. Within the departments in headquarters where most of the knowledge and insight into programming existed, nearly every person with long standing institutional health and rights knowledge has now been fired, layed off, or forced out. This is not only a horrible sadness for those who have long loved and lived for Pathfinder, it is a sadness for development. In the current international climate, strong, smart, and brave voices are needed to keep development moving in a direction that truly benefits women and communities. This CEO and the leader of the re-org in Human Resources have snuffed out that voice. It is up to the country reps to save Pathfinder now. The board is clearly not paying attention.

1.0
5 Oct 2017

Dancing bears

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There used to be a lot of pros about Pathfinder. That is history.

Cons

Let's start with dancing bears. The CEO asked country directors to "perform" song or dance for the board of directors - mind you, the country directors (host country nationals) are experienced public health professionals, doctors, midwives, PHDs etc. Sing and dance, really?? This is offensive, and in itself is reason for the CEO to step down. Inexcusable for the "leader" of an international development organization. And then it gets worse. All the experienced, executive staff that drove Pathfinder's mission (and impact) are gone, or have been demoted. This in addition to dismissing 30 or so staff early in the game, thus creating an environment of fear and loathing. Now we all want to leave, and the job searches are well known. Pathfinder has lost it's footing.

1.0
19 July 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There were a lot of pros only a few months ago but a new CEO hand-picked by a small number of board members on a power trip cut the rest of the board out, removed or demoted the executives who were the core of the organization keeping only the clueless and vindictive ones -- a recipe to destroy an organization in mere months

Cons

Just to add to the above, millions of dollars and years wasted on consultants and staff time to "build a great new culture" only to destroy morale, cut staff and leave those left here miserable and looking for new jobs in any spare moment. "Getting out" is all anyone talks about to those they can trust but the atmosphere is like North Korea, the slightest "dissent" is noted and enemy lists are kept and ruthlessly enforced - you had better smile and say nice things to the "great leaders" or else....It's a place that would make Soviet Russia proud. "Building a great culture" indeed.....

Viewing 1 - 3 of 151 Reviews

Glassdoor has 195 Pathfinder International reviews submitted anonymously by Pathfinder International employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Pathfinder International is right for you.