Should have left sooner... - Account Executive Zendesk Employee Review

2.0
Jul 1, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- ESPP + RSU's - Good people that became great friends - Logo for the résumé - Brand recognition for your sales pipeline - If you want to end up back in the office post COVID - this is your place to be.

Cons

Workplace: - Toxicity in the workplace is very prevalent. - Brand recognition turns into a con when quotas are brought into the mix. They are simply unattainable. - You will be expected to put your head down and don’t bring up valid issues, or you will be blacklisted. - The sales organization is a sweatshop at this point. You will be sold a pipe dream of a role from HR but, you will quickly find out there are skeletons in each and every closet if you take the role. - Churn. A massive churn problem that is being swept under the rug. They have seen over 50 sales reps leave in one office within the last year. Most stemming from the toxic culture and low pay. Management: - Micromanagement (all departments feel this) - Underdeveloped managers lead to micromanagement. - Leadership is spotty at best. There are a few good eggs that you will be able to rely on and give you just enough hope. Compensation: - Pay is well below the market standard in SaaS. The employees in one office are taken advantage of due to the fact there are no other big logo software orgs there. - New reps coming in will be making well above what tenured reps make. Your annual raises are given based upon an "internal bet" that you will stay or leave rather based upon the revenue you bring in or experience. - PTO policy looks decent on paper. You will not be able to take it. Want to take vacation around Christmas and New Years to spend time with family? It will be denied. No vacations are approved from December 14th - January 3rd. Christmas break with the kids - this is the wrong place. Career Development: - Looking to start your career in software and grow with a company? Just know your career path will take you more than 10 years to get to a Mid Market/Commercial AE if you start as an SDR. Recommendation, find a startup with a high growth potential. You will make it to that same role in 5 years. Inbound SDR / Outbound SDR - 1.5yrs Commercial BDR - 1.25 yrs Enterprise BDR - 1.25 yrs eSMB AE - 1.5 yrs SMB AE - 2-3 yrs Associate AE - 1.5-2 yrs Commercial/Mid Market AE - For reference, this exact process used to be 3 steps and take 3-4 years in seat to get to Commercial/Midmarket. Outlook: Zendesk gave a great logo for the résumé and some lifelong friends. On the other hand, they gave more grey hair and stress to employees on the day-to-day than is healthy. I only wish I would have left sooner.

Explore other reviews about Zendesk

5.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great place to work and great benefits

Cons

None so long as you like working for a large company

1.0
Jun 29, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There is a strong concentration of talented people who bring valuable external experience and perspective to the company. Compensation and benefits — including time off — are competitive. Work‑life balance is reasonable in some areas, but if you’re not based in San Francisco, you often have to advocate for it more actively.

Cons

The company operates with a level of indecision that makes long‑term planning nearly impossible. Role creation shouldn’t be treated as a short‑term experiment, yet decisions are made and reversed quickly. In several areas, the degree of micromanagement is counterproductive — you can’t hire strong talent and then prevent them from actually using their capabilities. Whether the root cause is insecurity or lack of competence, the outcome is the same: people aren’t empowered to do the work they were brought in to do, and it’s a real organizational issue.

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