Sales culture is terrible. Quotas are completely unobtainable for new sales representatives. Our team had a record sales year in 2015 but individually, no individual even reached 60% of quota. Management responded by adding salespeople, reducing the size of territories, raising the quota an additional 15% , and reducing commission percentage on sales. Our top 4 earners left within a month and the rest soon followed. Turnover became so outrageous that the company introduced "legally unenforceable" reimbursement agreements for new hires that valued the training workshop and OJT at $4,000 if you failed to stay for 6 months. I saw dozens put this to the test with no repercussions.
It wasn't just front line salespeople that turned and burned, in 2016 the endurance team went through 8 managers. Having to constantly reeducate managers on the sales process and the market itself was grueling.
Last point is in regards to the transition from salaried employees to hourly employees in August? of 2016 when the Obama era worker protections were originally supposed to kick in. Even after the law was delayed, the company maintained the system in case the lawsuit was eventually overruled and they were forced to continue the transition. Overtime was not allowed but was expected by management. As the team shrank due to turnover, the workloads because unwieldy. Our timecards were one lie after another. You worked through lunch? Don't forget to clock out for an hour. You actually made it to lunch? You were at the office till 8? Don't forget to clock out at 5. But HR monitored the :00s so don't forget to mix it up when you're clocking in and out but it better equal between 40.00 and 40.25 or you'll be having a sit down with upper management.
Bottom Line... Theres a huge disconnect between employees, front line management, upper management, and ownership at Vista Equity Partners which can result in things like us getting our 2017 quotas in March of 2017, three months after the fiscal year began because Vista has to approve all commission plans for companies in their portfolio.
