I worked at Smart Data right out of college starting in the Account Management Programmer role. In my final role, I was Sales Engineer scoping out about 900 custom projects annually. I increased revenue substantially and was typically one of the first IT staff members in the door every day. Despite all of that when it came time for a performance review, I asked for a raise from the CEO (as I reported directly to the CEO at the time). He threw me out of the office, strongly recommended I seek employment elsewhere, and didn't speak to me for 6 months (literally).
In my role I was paid both a base salary and commission on the sales I helped close. Over the course of the near decade I worked there, my commission steadily raised year over year as I brought in increasing sales numbers and my base salary would typically get adjusted to keep up with cost of living adjustments. In my final 3 years, I did not receive any adjustments to my base salary even though I was continually asked to take on more and more non-commissionable work. The CEO was not even willing to discuss the matter.
Typically, to get a raise they would give everyone a goal and once you complete your goal you got a bump to your base pay. For some people like the programmers, their goal would typically be completing the implementation of a few marquee accounts on their radar which they are doing anyhow. Other positions like the support role, you would get tasks which were above and beyond your day to day support responsibilities, so you had to do extra to try to get the pay raise. Some staff got goals that they themselves could not complete individually but needed effort from multiple members or a team to complete, but then management would move people in or off the team or let people go, but still hold that person to those goals to get a pay raise even though they are not physically in a position to complete those without the outside involvement from other staff. Typically everyone's goals were a secret, some people got goals which aligned with their role, others had to do things outside their role to complete their goal, and if management didn't like you, well then they just wouldn't bother setting a goal at all. If you had a goal, completed it, and got your pay bump, then you basically entered this period where you don't have a goal, and its unclear when or if you will get another one. Total lack of transparency on the process, some changing goalposts, etc. No real clear depiction as far as what is expected of your or how your performance is being evaluated, or what you need to do to advance.
In the end when covid hit they took it as an opportunity to release a number of staff members that management just didn't personally like. None of us were provided any information on how the group laid off was selected or how those metrics were evaluated, I did not receive severance and the remaining commission payments I would have received from sales I already made were wiped out. Basically, fired over petty personal reasons with the CEO, I did not receive severance pay, and the company basically welched on about $150,000 worth of commission I was owed.
Since then the 2 co-CEOs sold the company and there is a new CEO at the helm though they are on the board. Hopefully the new CEO can run things better.
