Human Rights Watch Associate Interview Questions
& Process

The interviewers were nice, but the lack of communication was really frustrating. I had a basic phone interview to learn about the position, and then the next week I had the final panel interview. They really hyped me up, saying I stood out, was well-spoken and passionate, and a great fit. The job was supposed to start in two weeks, but after a month of no contact, I got a rejection. They said they'd keep me in mind for future roles, but my emails for follow-ups went unanswered. This happened again a few months later for a similar role, where I wasn't updated for a month.

I sent in my application via their online system. The whole thing took about 3 months, with the actual hiring part taking 8 weeks. I heard back 6 weeks after the deadline for the job. It was an invite to an automated interview, which was pretty chill and easy. It actually helped me relax since I could take my time to think before answering. I had 7 questions in total, mostly about my past experiences, why I want this job, and why I like the organization. Two weeks later, I got an email saying I made it to the next stage. This was an online panel interview with 4 people from Human Rights Watch. It was fun, but also pretty intense. They asked a mix of scenario-based questions and general ones about my background, the job, and the company. A few hours after that, they told me I had a written assessment. I got the details on Monday. It tested my skills in writing professional documents like an email, a short note, and an invitation to a diplomat. I had 3 hours to do it. About 10 days later, the Regional Director called to confirm my references. They checked them out, and I got an offer a week after that.

The interview process started with a pleasant first interview with two people. Then, there was a skills test that took about 2-3 hours, designed to check how I handle pressure. After that, I had a second round interview with a larger panel. It felt very corporate initially. Things were going well until an executive director presented a scenario and then kept adding obstacles to my responses, eventually insulting my intelligence condescendingly. This seemed unrelated to the original question or my ability to perform the duties. The rest of the team mentioned that not all departments are great to work with, which felt like a red flag. I didn't expect such behavior from a human rights organization. I had read reviews about HRW not valuing Associates, but I hoped it wasn't true. However, this interaction confirmed I didn't want to work there. It's crucial for human rights organizations to practice what they preach and treat people with respect, especially potential employees. I learned a valuable lesson not to compromise my values or self-respect for a job.