A presentation by Fiona Bourdin-Farrell, Director HR at UN Women.

1. UN Women
Fiona Bourdin-Farrell
Director, HR

2. 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?

3. 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

4. Where does UN Women work?

5. Workforce Distribution
407,
22.4%
359,
19.8%
300,
16.5%
251,
13.8%
202,
11.1%
153,
8.5%
143,
7.9%
Asia & the
Pacific
HQ & Liaison
Offices
Eastern &
Southern
Africa
Americas &
the
Caribbean
Europe &
Central Asia
Arab States Western &
Central Africa
Workforce in Regions
1815 employees
132 nationalities
72 % female, 28% male
80% of senior staff (P5 &
above) are female
Average age is 42

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. Finnish nationals in UN Women
NAME TITLE LEVEL DUTY STATION
Kannisto, Päivi Chief, Peace & Security (1-Sept-2015) D1 New York
Lassila, Satu Expert on Mission Secondment 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

10. So how can YOU
join UN Women?
10

11. 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

12. UN Women Recruitment Process
APPLICATION
•Personal History Form (P11)
•Motivational Paragraph
ASSESSMENT
•Technical Test
•Interview(s)
•Reference Checks
REVIEW &
APPROVAL
•Compliance Review
•Management Approvals

13. 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.

14. 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?

15. 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?

16. 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)

17. I travelled to
Africa with the
Minister.
Was travelling
really for your
biggest
accomplishme
nt?
I worked for ‘Kvinna till
Kvinna’ foundation.
Does this
person have
any experience
in women’s
issues?

18. 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)

19. 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.

20. 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.
INTERVIEW
Prepare 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

21. 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

22. Where do I apply?

23. 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/