Interviewed for a Sr. Sales position
This is the first time I’ve ever been compelled to write a negative review.
Several recruiters tried to get me interested in this company over the last 6+ years. The technology is well regarded in the industry, though because they were owned by Nokia which had a really poor reputation for business tactics, I declined those invitations to interview.
Recently, a different recruiter told me that things had changed at Qt…new management…they had spun off from Nokia… starting a new chapter…wanted to move quickly adding sales, etc.
Several rounds of interviews later (5), including with an EVP from Norway who said I had exactly the experience they needed, confirmation from the other reps that I was culturally a fit, we had agreement to move forward. We discussed details of the proposed offer, including benefits. Typically, this is when discussions about a start date are appropriate. Of course thinking that I'll need to give my employer two weeks notice. They requested my references, which I provided. (None were ever contacted.)
Then they rescinded the verbal offer. I was told by the recruiter that it was because I had asked twice about a start date! The second time in a different way than the first, as I've learned in sales is how we discover what might be in the way of a prospect reaching a decision.
Every Sales VP I’ve ever worked for only wants reps capable of asking for business. The recruiter agreed with me that most will only advance those who attempt to close. Apparently that’s not the case here.
If you want to close business (and make money), it probably makes sense to look elsewhere. This experience cemented my belief that I only want to work for a Sales VP who has experience in sales and experience being in front of customers.
So, really nothing has changed at Qt. Still poor business tactics, still poor management. It appears that the Nokia mindset is still intact. It may be ingrained in the culture.
What I learned is to dig a lot deeper into the background of the person I would report to, and to make sure that person has experience in sales and in front of customers.
I strongly suggest looking at the employee reviews on Glassdoor. They seem to mirror what I experienced.
If this is the culture, it's probably not the best place for a serious sales rep.