Global Refuge Interview Questions
& Process

It was a straightforward and friendly process. Global Refugee is a mission-driven place to work, and the interview experience showed that positive attitude and mission. The hiring manager put together key subject-matter experts and team leads to be part of the interview.

The interview process was long and not well organized. They rescheduled my interview date four times. The interview was with HR, my direct boss, and someone who seemed like a liaison. Initially, the interview was friendly and straightforward. It got harder when they asked about specific Global Refuge programs. I asked for program details to answer properly, otherwise, I would have to make up vague answers.

I had a quick phone call first. Then, a few weeks later, I went to their headquarters in Baltimore. Parking was $15, and they didn't mention reimbursement, which felt like a bit of a red flag, and honestly, the whole vibe felt pretty one-sided. But when I got there, two people I interviewed with were really nice and pleasant. I shared my passion for refugee work, showing them samples of my writing from international publications, my own publication, and speeches I'd helped with. I also sent them a ton of online examples of my published work. It took almost three weeks and a couple of follow-ups to hear back, and they said they were restructuring. Then, on the Friday of Labor Day weekend, they emailed me a writing assignment due Sunday night, which surprised me given all the samples I'd sent. It was a tough one, trying to write from the president's perspective without knowing her. I couldn't do it over the holiday weekend as planned, so I asked for an extension to Tuesday, which they reluctantly granted. After that, I waited a bit before they invited me back for an in-person meeting with the president and another timed writing assignment. Again, I was surprised to have to do more writing after showing them so much of my past work. HR was really short with me, which was odd for an organization helping vulnerable people. I really liked the president, though – she seemed great. I told her honestly how hard it was to write in her voice without knowing her. After that, I was given a computer and 20 minutes to write another assignment in her voice, having just met her. I followed up afterwards, but had to wait weeks. Meanwhile, I got two good offers from other places with better pay and less hassle. My heart was still set on this job for the mission, so I followed up again. Finally, I got a two-sentence reply saying they'd gone with someone else. I was disappointed by the whole time and effort I put in, and how I felt disrespected and lacked hospitality. But I realized it wasn't the kind of place I'd want to work for, despite believing in their mission.

This interview process was long and difficult, I'd advise staying away from this company if possible. HR is slow to respond but expects quick turnaround times on interviews and your responses. They'll promise you updates that never come and leave you hanging for weeks. Most of them are incredibly rude and won't provide feedback. It seems like the people who get hired are happy, but getting past their HR is a nightmare. Don't bother with negotiations, they'll use it against you.