Pros
Zendesk is a growing company and I think it will continue to succeed. Outside of the sales organization, I think many roles still find it enjoyable. The people I worked alongside were amazing, and I created many friendships from working there. It was a good resume builder and will help you progress your career in technology. New office, free snacks, and RSUs are good perks. It used to be fun, lighthearted, enjoyable. The culture used to be amazing, but things change when a 'startup' grows into an Enterprise company.
Cons
By the time I left, I would echo every comment mentioned in the other negative sales role reviews. The biggest issues are the lack of trust in employees and poor management. Managers are constantly referred to as babysitters, because they spend all their time looking over your shoulder rather than helping you get better. They will Slack you asking why you're not at your desk, and all of your 1-on-1s are spent nitpicking rather than developing your career. They even told us we could no longer work from the couches because it's not productive. There is no flexibility to work from home, because they need to see what you are doing at all times of day. It's never a good time to take PTO; PTO is discouraged. A coworker's wife used to say "have fun at daycare" when she dropped him off at work. Managers are given the roles because of who they are friends with, not because they have the skills necessary to lead. Honestly is said to be encouraged, but you will be punished for sharing differing opinions to what management is doing. They act like they want feedback, but no changes are ever made. We joked that Zendesk sales management said "how could I make it more miserable here?" and then made those decisions. When a rep brought up the recent turnover and unhappiness in the sales org, the head of the department said "it's not Zendesk's job to make sure you're happy at work - it's yours". There is very limited mobility outside of sales. They take measures to make it as difficult as possible to leave the sales organization. I've seen managers that have postponed reps' internal interviews to move outside of sales because the employee 'already has a job'. If you do get an offer to move outside of sales, they make you wait 2 more months before you can move to that role so they can fill your spot. And they are continually adding layers to the sales organization that make it harder and harder to get anywhere. There used to be 3 levels of the sales roles, now there are at least 6. The pay is low compared to other software companies, especially when you consider the fact that SMB AEs have essentially a 2-for-1 job. You are both an account executive selling new business/expansion and an account manager (which takes up the majority of your time and brings in the least ROI). Most companies pay at least $90k for each role individually. It’s become apparent that they care more about numbers than you as a person now. SMB specifically is given the least amount of resources and support, but brings in the most revenue for the company. Quotas are unattainable, as in hitting 50% is lucky, yet continue to rise. You only make it if you luck out with good accounts that grow on their own. Customers’ opinions of Zendesk have grown negative over the last year or so. They see Zendesk as overpriced, lacking innovation, and having “terrible customer service”, which you regularly hear - "this is ironic for a customer service software company." Those all make it harder to sell. I was told I was making a mistake for leaving, and I would regret it. I haven't for one second. I haven't met anyone who has regretted it that has left. Now I'm trying to reverse the management "PTSD" that I gained from working at Zendesk at my new company - where I am fairly compensated, have great management, and am trusted to do my job. Be careful - just because the office looks cool doesn't mean the culture is there anymore. In fact, you can't even sit on those couches they brag about.
