Low base salary, reps are selling non-contractual agreements to clients, so if the client terminates, changes products, etc. within 6 months (happens often) it negatively impacts the sales associates commission and quota, even though it is not the sales rep's responsibility to maintain the client after the sale. Lots of internal competition and sales disputes (reps fighting with other reps, inside sales vs outside sales). ADP's large breath of services require an "agnostic" selling approach, but because the reps are all "specialized" in different products, the sales process often requires bringing in 3+ reps all offering a different product/solution to the same prospect, making the process convoluted for the prospect and the reps - often causing internal disputes, an unorganized selling strategy and lost deals. ADP prides itself in having these "specialized" reps that pigeonhole them into specific products and company sizes but also preach an up-selling/cross-selling mentality encouraging reps to sell outside of their "specialized" sector - which is great for selling scope but ultimately causes internal disputes. For example, you run an entire process from start to finish - if you happen to sell something that isn't technically "your specialty" you are required to cut in a rep that had no part in the process. The reps are all capable of the cross selling, but the unnecessary segmentation of roles cause major issues internally and externally. They also have “hunter” roles and “specialty” roles, the specialty roles are meant to be 100% referral-based roles, meaning reps can only gain business from Brokers, CPAs, Banks, etc. When you’re interviewing the roles will be explained as warm referral sources – but they’re all extremely cold, and the “partnerships” presented are loose or non-existent. Forcing reps to spin their wheels on building referring partnerships that typically take 1+ years to develop and then putting the reps on plan for not bringing in new business. Ultimately, it’s the lack of organization and unnecessary segmentation for roles/products that make this an extremely difficult company to work for.
