Ever since I resigned at Deel, I've had several people reach out to me who have either been current employees or in the midst of deciding whether or not to accept a job offer there. They've all reached out about the same thing - what my experience there was like and if it was as bad as they've heard it is (if they're still interviewing) or if I also noticed red flags and they're not going crazy (if they're current employees). That alone should speak for itself. It's frustrating to see a company that has a good product to offer have such a dark reality to it when it comes to employee experience. The pattern is always - people find out about Deel through their LinkedIn posts, see their market presence booming, get excited about the "rocket ship" and apply, just to start working and realize it's a miserable experience. Having worked on their sales team and having lots of prior experience in sales, it's painfully obvious that not only did they not structure the territories well, but they also drastically over-hired. If you end up working in the North American team, you'll only be allowed to prospect in the US and Canada and in companies with specific criteria. The problem then is with the amount of new sales people they hire. It should be obvious but there are only so many companies in North America that exist that fit your territory parameters so eventually, the sales reps run out of companies they can prospect without knocking on the same doors over and over and yet are still expected to meet the extremely high quotas. I've seen the comments that Deel responds with to other reviews here and it's the same general narrative the management team has. They find a way to spin it so that it becomes the rep's fault for "not being cut out for this rocket ship" or that "Deel Speed isn't for everyone". The reality is that the numbers don't lie. Fixed number of accounts to prospect + exponential increase in reps to cover the same territory = less chance of you hitting quota over time. It's also alarming to see how they respond to negative reviews that raise concerns regarding the employees' mental health being an afterthought. They chalk it up to learning as they go, not everything is perfect, and building the rocket ship as they fly it. The fact that's still the same narrative after months of people raising the exact same concerns just screams that their responses are exclusively a PR strategy. Managers will also gaslight reps into thinking that it's normal to not eat or sleep until you meet quota regardless of macro-economic situations and market changes. I wouldn't be surprised if putting more people on PIP now is their way of controlling headcount rather than taking accountability and admitting they messed up. Realities to consider before joining: - Just miss your quota one month? You'll be on PIP then fired without severance. - Expect to work 12+ hour days and be cold calling well before 9am and several hours after 5pm. - Work wherever you want? Not quite. You need to ask for permission and get prior approval to work somewhere that's outside your timezone. - Micromanagement is constant. Don't be fooled when they say that "working in your timezone is a reality of working in sales and unavoidable". Not true. There are other companies out there that truly walk the talk and know how to manage globally remote teams and still grow as a rocket ship. All in all, sure, Deel is a massive company and solving a big problem. Just keep in mind the price tag that comes with working there and make sure it's one you're willing to pay before you apply.
