Not employee or customer focused - National Products Specialist Stericycle Employee Review

2.0
Jan 3, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The hours and work flexibility in the Northbrook sales SQ team is great. Really allows a work-life balance which is almost impossible to find now-a-days at most companies.

Cons

Unfortunately there are many cons working here. Pay used to be good and commission structure was fair. Recently they made changes that make it impossible to get a good commission check and you can't live off the hourly base pay (especially in the area). Benefits for being a healthcare company are terrible. My retail job previous had better benefits. A lot of the management has gotten to where they are because they can present well in meetings, but not because they can manage well or have knowledge of sales. Managers are M.I.A. most of day, so if you have a customer that needs special pricing, you have to tell them sorry you have to wait three hours or more and I will call you back. The commission structure and many of the programs they offer customers, the only way to sell is by giving as little information as possible and trying to get them to sign paperwork in one call. If you give the customer any time to read the paperwork, they immediately say no thank you, because we are always raising prices and are adding fees. Definitely a company built on duping the customer rather than customer service excellence. Also, many reps that do hit goal, the only reason they're hitting is by cheating the system and doing things against rules of engagement. However, the programs they have reps sell and the commission structure, it makes employees do unethical selling in order to hit quota. The biggest growing team in the company is retention, if that tells you anything. Management does not acknowledge complaints or concerns with sales process or payout. Many of the changes made in the company are not a benefit to the customer or the employee. It's all about trying to make as much money as possible in short bursts. They will raise quotas to almost ridiculous status just so they don't have to pay out commission. Stericycle's stocks have dipped so much in the last two years. Stericycle hasn't hit a floor sales goal for all of 2015. Obviously what they are doing isn't working.

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Stericycle Response
10y
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and opinions with us. At Stericycle, we've implemented a company culture that reinforces our Core Values, one of which being Customer First. Please know that we truly prioritize pleasing our customers by providing the best service possible. Our Team Members are the talent behind our impeccable customer service, and we value all of the hard work they do in our company. We want to maintain a work environment that enables our Team Members to be engaged and productive, where they can enjoy their work. After all, Enjoying Our Work is another one of our Core Values. As Richard Branson said, "Some 80% of your life is spent working. You want to have fun at home; why shouldn't you have fun at work?"

Explore other reviews about Stericycle

5.0
Feb 25, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great teamwork, engagement and collaboration

Cons

None that I can think of right now

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Stericycle Response
3mo
Thank you for taking the time to share this! We’re so glad to hear that your experience here has been a good one. It’s feedback like yours that reminds us why creating a workplace where people feel respected, supported, and proud of what they do is so important. We're grateful to have you on the team.
2.0
May 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I worked alongside a team that was consistently supportive and always willing to make time to answer questions, which made a meaningful difference in my day-to-day experience. There was a real sense of collaboration, and having people who were approachable and dependable made it much easier to navigate a fast-paced, high-volume sales environment. It helped create a bit of stability and camaraderie even during more demanding or repetitive parts of the role. Overall, it was a company operating as a leader in the space, which added to the scale and pace of the experience

Cons

This was my experience working at Shred-it, which is a subsidiary of Stericycle.If you’ve ever wondered what zero autonomy feels like, this is your spot. The day was a nonstop loop of cold calls, cold walk-ins, and more cold calls, with a mandatory “smile and dial” every morning. On the Shred-it team selling waste bins, it often felt like creativity and independent thinking were… safely shredded. Management could be extremely hands-on to the point of micromanagement, with frequent check-ins and scripted role-play scenarios that rarely reflected real conversations in the field. Communication style could come across as condescending or patronizing at times, especially on team calls, which made for an uncomfortable environment when feedback felt more critical than constructive.

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Stericycle Response
1mo
We really appreciate you taking a moment to reflect and share your journey with us. I’m sorry things haven’t gone as smoothly as they should, but your feedback is valuable and helps us make the improvements needed to create a better, more supportive place for everyone.
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