UN WomenFiona Bourdin-Farrell

Director, HR

UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide. UN Women was established in July 2010 to be the global advocate for women’s rights and to accelerate progress on achieving gender equality.

What is UN Women?

In what priority areas does UN Women work?

• Increasing women’s leadership & participation

• Enhancing women’s economic empowerment

• Ending violence against women

• Engaging women in all aspects of peace and security processes

• Making gender equality central to national development planning and budgeting

• Strengthening global norms and standards

Where does UN Women work?

Workforce Distribution

Asia &

the Pacifi

c

HQ & Li

aison O

ffices

Eastern &

Southern Africa

Americas &

the Carib

bean

Europe & Centra

l Asia

Arab States

Weste

rn & Centra

l Afri

ca

407,22.4%

359,19.8%

300,16.5%

251,13.8%

202, 11.1%

153,8.5% 143,

7.9%

Workforce in Regions

1815 employees

132 nationalities

72 % female, 28% male

80% of senior staff (P5 & above) are female

Average age is 42

Global UN Women campaigns:HeForShe

• Launched on March 8, 2014 UN Women's Solidarity Movement HeForShe has to date been signed by 306,256 men all around the world

• In Finland 2095 men have joined the movement

• The ambitious aim is to bring together one half of humanity in support of the other half of humanity, for the benefit of all

Global UN Women campaigns::Beijing +20

• In 1995, 189 countries adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a visionary roadmap for women's rights and empowerment. 20 years later no country has yet finished this agenda.

• The 20th anniversary of Beijing opens new opportunities. UN Women is thriving to reconnect, regenerate commitment, charge up political will and mobilize the public.

1995

2015

Global UN Women campaigns:Orange YOUR Neighbourhood

• In 2015, the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign invites you to “Orange YOUR Neighbourhood,” with the color designated to symbolize a brighter future without violence.

• UN Women coordinates the UN Secretary-General’s campaign, supports widespread social mobilization through its Say NO – UNiTE social media platforms on Facebook and Twitter, and manages the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women.

Finnish nationals in UN Women

NAME TITLE LEVELDUTY STATION

Kannisto, Päivi Chief, Peace & Security (1-Sept-2015) D1 New York

Lassila, Satu Expert on MissionSecondment New York

Dahlvik, Åsa Resource Mobilization Specialist P3 New York

Auer-Himberg, Petra Communications Analyst P2 Copenhagen

Jokinen, Hilkka Programme Analyst, JPO P2 Addis Ababa

Kaskeala, Sanna Programme Analyst, JPO P2 New York

Korvenpää, Anni Programme Analyst, JPO P2 New York

Nyberg, Andrea Programme Analyst, JPO P2 Bangkok

Rajander, Silja Governance and Coordination Consultant Consultant Phnom Penh

Mäenpää, Katri HR Consultant Consultant New York

So how can YOU join UN Women?

10

What type of profiles are we hiring?

Specialist in priority areas:• Violence Against Women• Peace and Security• Leadership and Participation• Economic Empowerment• National Planning and

Budgeting• Intergovernmental/Interagency

processes and coordination

Management:• Regional Centre Directors• Country Representatives• Deputy Country Representatives• Operations Managers • Cluster Leaders• Resource Mobilization

Operations:• Communication• Finance/Budget• Procurement• Human Resources• ICT• Facilities & Administration

• Vacancies (FTA+TA)• Consultant assignments

UN Women Recruitment Process

APPLICATION•Personal History Form (P11)•Motivational Paragraph

ASSESSMENT•Technical Test•Interview(s)•Reference Checks

REVIEW & APPROVAL

•Compliance Review•Management Approvals

We would love to see more applications from you!

• During the last 4 months (Jan-Apr) when we had 37 international vacant posts, we received 5611 applications out of which only 57 were from Finnish nationals.

• Looking at all the D1 and above vacant positions advertised in 2014, altogether we received 1158 applications out of which only 8 were from Finnish nationals.

• So in other words, from the 6769 applications only 65 were from Finnish nationals and more importantly from only 57 (0.8%) different candidates as some of them applied for multiple positions.

How to get long- & short-listed?

Out of the applications received during the observed time period only a small number were long-listed. The 3 most common reasons for a Finnish candidate not to be considered were:

• Does not meet the minimum requirement i.e. years of experience: ‘relevant experience but too junior for the position’

→ DO YOU MEET THE MINIMUM CRITERIA?

• No UN or international experience: ‘Only private sector experience, no international exposure’

→ DO YOU HAVE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE, PREFERABLY FROM THE FIELD AND WITH THE UN?

• No context relevant experience: ‘Scope of expertise and functional competencies are not matching requirements for the post’

→ DOES YOUR APPLICATION SHOWCASE YOUR CAPABILITIES IN RELATION TO THE POSITION & ITS LOCATION?

How to succeed in a competency-based interview?

According to last year’s panel reports when it comes to interviewing, Finnish nationals do not succeed in showcasing their competencies:

• ‘the selected candidate… was better able to articulate within all the required dimensions relevant to the job.’ (as opposed to the Finnish candidate)

→ ARE YOU ABLE TO CONVINCE US THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB?

• ‘the panel was not convinced regarding x’s abilities … and concluded that x would not be well suited to drive the delivery of this complex programme and advocate in country on sensitive gender issues.’

→ ARE YOU ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR COMPETENCIES?

Application

Highlight the most relevant experience for the position Always modify your P-11

Don’t assume, be precise, be sure to highlight the relevant experience

Use concise formatting and senses throughout your application Answer all the questions in the form

Description of Duties Describe your responsibilities linking them when possible to the

competencies and qualifications relevant to the position you are applying for

Summary of Achievements What was your added value/where did you contribute Choose the most relevant achievements for your positions

PERSONAL HISTORY FORM (P11)

I travelled to Africa with the

Minister.Was

travelling really for

your biggest accomplishm

ent?

I worked for ‘Kvinna till Kvinna’ foundation. Does this

person have any

experience in women’s issues?

Application

Make it easy for the recruiter to pre-select you Always modify your motivational paragraph Don’t use generic terms – tailor your paragraph to speak to the

position Make your words count Link to your experience, back up your statements Use the terms used in job description if relevant Show your true motivation Don’t focus on your weaknesses You shouldn’t state any such experience that is not recorded in

your P-11 too

Describe how your experience, qualifications and competencies match the specific position – argue why you are a good match

MOTIVATIONAL PARAGRAPH (max. 1000 characters)

Although I don’t speak any Chinese, I speak English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.

I am very interested in working for your organization and I

have all the competencies

required for this position.

I have good social skills and I get along with different

people. I am a fast learner and a flexible colleague. I would be very good at this

job.

Assessment

TECHNICAL TESTS

What is a technical test and how do I succeed in it?

Technical test is a written test (often by email) where you have the opportunity to demonstrate your substantive knowledge in writing.

Focus on the clarity of your communication, demonstrate your technical knowledge and show your innovativeness.

INTERVIEWPrepare well – that will help to reduce your nervousness

Practice a lot – time out your answers; aim for 4-5 minutes

Listen to the questions – you can ask to repeat/clarify them if needed

Be energetic – don’t forget to demonstrate your motivation

‘Do you have any questions for the panel?’- If you can google the answer, don’t ask

REFERENCE CHECKS

Who should I use as my references?

Someone who knows you professionally

Someone from the organization/UN is always good

Someone who will have time/willingness to give the reference when needed

Additional Tips

UN Women will first get to know you through your application/P11

Be truthful, accurate and specific Make your words count Write/edit in Word Proofread Print application/P11 on screen or paper to

check Save your applications

Where do I apply?

Kiitos!

https://www.facebook.com/unwomen

https://twitter.com/un_women

https://www.flickr.com/photos/unwomen

https://plus.google.com/+unwomen/

https://www.youtube.com/user/UNWomen

http://www.unwomen.org/