Working at HI

Our values

Choosing to provide humanitarian assistance is a conscious decision: the values we embody are focused on our beneficiaries and are shared by all those who choose to work with us. This gives meaning to our missions and encourages each of us to become ambassadors for HI in our day-to-day work.

Working at HI is about understanding and embodying the values that make up its DNA.  

Humanity

Respecting our team members regardless of their origins, their personal circumstances, and their position in the hierarchy, to develop healthy working relationships and constructive discussions.
We want to develop a working environment in which feedback between colleagues, to managers and to the team is facilitated and considered as a lever for making progress and developing.

Inclusion

Fighting ceaselessly against exclusion and promoting diversity in the workplace.
We take care to ensure that our recruitment process and our teams reflect one of the values that underpins HI: that each member of staff is key to the success of our projects.

Commitment

Demonstrating courage and innovation in our humanitarian response to successfully implement our projects and instigate a collective dynamic.
We believe that working as a team to implement a project allows us to get tangibly involved in every stage of the process and to fully measure the impact of our actions. 

Integrity

Embodying HI’s mandate and values and complying with the HI code of conduct in our daily work.
We are accountable both to our beneficiaries, and to the donors and funding bodies who finance our projects. It is vital that we fight against anything which might prevent the successful implementation of these projects. We have put into place project monitoring and evaluation, anti-fraud and corruption, and beneficiary protection policies. #donoharm 

Teams & diversity

Operating 350 projects in 63 countries requires technical, methodological and managerial expertise: we recruit staff members with varied, complementary profiles for both the federation and our national associations:  

For the Federation

National staff in the field

More than 2,500 national staff members run projects to support populations in vulnerable situations. They are directly recruited by our teams in the field, in compliance with the local legislation in force.

International staff members in the field

Recruited by our operational headquarters in Lyon and Brussels, they are sent out into the field to provide technical, methodological and/or managerial support to our national staff members.

In line with our values “Humanity, Inclusion, Commitment, Integrity” we offer our international staff a competitive service package for missions in the field. We also ensure everything is put in place to ensure they remain safe and in good health throughout the duration of their mission.

We offer the following guarantees:

A salary which takes into account the staff member’s professional experience and skills

Specific allowances and bonuses

• A per diem allowance for living costs indexed to the cost of living in the country in question

• A “hardship” payment to offset the differences in terms of the difficulties in daily life compared to other missions This can be up to €500, awarded based on an evaluation which looks at security, political instability, and quality of life criteria.

Accommodation in the field

Accommodation arrangements are adapted to the duration of the mission and the staff member’s marital and family status. The costs are fully covered by HI:

Rest periods

Adapted to your working conditions. In addition to five weeks’ annual leave, Rest & Recuperation (R&R) periods are also included in the duration of the mission and employment contract: this system allows staff to recuperate and continue with their work in good health, it is a mandatory part of the mission.

An international contract offering appropriate social security cover according to each person’s specific needs

• National insurance contributions are only debited for EU citizens

• Pension provision is adapted to our staff member’s individual circumstances

Effective health cover

Private health insurance and repatriation cover are also provided for all staff members

Depending on the context, some form of psychological care maybe provided

If the context allows, the staff member may be able to work abroad accompanied by their spouse or family

• Child allowance of €100 is paid for families with two or more children

• Contribution to school fees for children over the age of 3 years old

• Health cover for the whole family

• The cost of travel, visas and the moving of personal effects are covered (for missions longer than 12 months)

• Mechanisms adapted to the security context can be applied to facilitate family life: e.g. family living in a neighbouring country.

In our national associations

Our staff are tasked with obtaining institutional and private funds, and with communicating on, and raising awareness of, our projects with the general public.

“Each HI team member embodies the organisation’s mandate as a whole, regardless of their position in the organisation chart.”

Work environment: key success factors

For HI, it is paramount that each and every member of our team finds fulfilment in their day-to-day work.

The following factors are key to achieving this:

Induction, skills development and building a professional pathway

Each member of staff follows an induction process on our on-line training platform. Throughout their career, they can be supported to acquire new knowledge and skills through face-to-face or remote training, and internal mentoring, coaching and team building offers.

A management culture aligned with our values

Audacity, trust, agility, responsibility and enthusiasm!

We encourage benevolent management to boost motivation across the board. Our managers should be able to help their team members to progress through exchanges based on mutual trust and constructive feedback. They know how to position themselves both as leaders and as members of the team. They know how to simplify and prioritise information to ensure their teams progress. A dedicated manager training course has been developed based on these concepts.

Occupational health (psychological support and stress management training)

Whether in the field or at headquarters, we offer all our staff members access to psychological support and stress management training.

Attentive to the state of labour relations

Our staff members’ well-being is a key concern, we regularly question our staff using confidential, anonymous means, about their well-being at work and their workload in particular.

A management culture aligned with our values

Whether in the field or at headquarters, we offer all our staff members access to psychological support and stress management training.

Our institutional policies

“At HI protection refers in its broadest sense to respect for people’s dignity and basic human rights”

Fully aware of the threats that our national and international staff, as well as our beneficiaries, may face their security is a top priority for HI.

Photos : © W. Huyghe / HI - © A. Surprenant/Collectif Item/HI