Q&A With Mercy Ships Employees

I was really happy and excited until the HR change. After that I found my own reasons to feel extremely good and still enjoyed working.

My best part was making sure I helped all employees exactly the same with all their financial inquiries.

In Finance it is extremely fast paced and over worked. In IT it is extremely laidback and laxsadasical. In HR the leave early and go for pedicures. The come in late sometimes about 9 or 10.

A lot of different buildings all over the grounds.

I was fine with everything when I was hired. An exceptional place. When HR changed, the whole environment changed. The founders were given less amount of authority and handed over to the board.

Think it is having some growing issues. Heard things were much better since the CFO was replaced.

About an hour to 2 hours for Finance.

I met the Controller. I knew the next day.

There was none. My interviewer was the Controller who knew what was legal to ask and how to handle the interview process.

Typically it is business casual.

Finance has no flexible hours. You work more than 60 hours a week.

How and what did I do for pervious employers. How do I see my fitting into the organization. What was my goal for myself the next 5 years. Asked specific accounting procedural questions. Asked the amount of funds I was responsible for. There was no inappropriate questions in my interview. There was however a statement that employees were expected to attend a weekly luncheon where religious meeting would take place. However, if I did not want to attend that was ok.

Loved my controller. Experience, education and managerial skills were excellent. I learned more from him than at any other job. It was thoroughly sad when he left. Our team was so well focused, and worked so well together when he was there.

No. Background checks were done prior to the new HR director, but was deemed too expensive. No drug tests have ever been done to my knowledge. There is a background check done on employees in the Finance Department, however; it was an after being hired. Prior to new HR personnel change this was a customary prerequisite for all new hire possibilities.

There was not to have been any work from home. This policy is a bogus, biased, and every changing policy on a case by case issue.

I was interviewed and hired prior to the HR change (over 8 years ago) when it was ethical, experienced, caring, dedicated to improving the goals set forth by the founder. My interview was conducted by the head of Finance and sent hiring paperwork by HR. Today you a interviewed by HR who knows nothing about the job and lacks any experience, education or training.

If you want to be a volunteer, chances are extremely great you will be hired as long as you follow the religious expectations demanded. To increase your chances of being hired as a paid employee, if you have served on the ship and are a “yes” person it is a very good chance to become a permanent paid employee.

Benefits have been decreased in the last 5 years especially in the area of raises, annual cost of living and health insurance. The bottom line is more important than the well being of the employee. The volunteer benefits have greatly increased due to demand of needed more volunteers for the new ship.

There is one, but I have not seen any documentation to requirements and/or implementation.

The HR Department is a lacking in all areas including training, education, experience, ethics and accountability due mostly to the inexperience and lack education of the VP of HR. As far as handling any HR issue it would be unlikely to be treated without an unbiased opinion.