Worst place I have ever worked - Anonymous FreeWill Employee Review

1.0
7 Oct 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Noble mission. Kind and intelligent coworkers. Great health benefits. Unlimited PTO.

Cons

Performance Improvement Plans aren't just part of the culture. They ARE the culture. In fact, the phrase “PIP culture” is thrown around in daily conversation. The VP of Sales even acknowledged to the entire department that people are working out of fear to stay off PIPs rather than feeling supported to become better sales people. They pride themselves on having an *80% success rate of people passing their PIPs. Companies should be proud of hiring the right people and training them effectively so they don’t ever go on PIPs, not about how many people "pass" them. I would say I’m surprised more people aren’t on here speaking up about it, but truthfully most people are afraid of being targeted for negative feedback. We recently went through a DEI training and it’s clear from the content that people in all departments have a lack of trust in leadership. Managers are not held to the same standard as individual contributors. They are only out to save their own skin, and when put under pressure are quick to throw their own people under the bus. I’ve recently seen several colleagues run out of here that were good, hardworking people, but unqualified managers are still around. During the interview they talk about this incredible company culture that existed 2-3 years ago, but it’s a complete bait and switch. That is not the culture today and they need to be honest about it with themselves and future hires. I don’t know what the day-to-day looks like for departments outside of sales, but from all the pulse surveys and DEI training it’s evident people do not feel safe or supported throughout the company. It’s really disappointing that a company so focused on doing good for other organizations can be fostering such a destructive environment for their own team. It is worth mentioning, I don’t like generalizing because I don’t want to lump the good people with the bad. I can think of one good leader who is no longer over AEs. However, if I were to be more specific about management I risk singling myself out and becoming a potential target.

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FreeWill Response
1y
Thank you for your feedback and for noting the kind and intelligent colleagues you worked with as well as our noble company mission. We're sorry to hear your transition was not as positive and appreciate you sharing about your experience. As you mentioned, we agree it's important not to generalize and speak as much as possible to your specific experience which may not mirror the experience of others currently employed and happy with the culture of FreeWill. The data collected in our quarterly company-wide PULSE surveys remains strong around company culture and manager performance and we maintain a high retention rate of employees at the company. However, we absolutely want to continue encouraging team members to utilize our various avenues for collecting anonymous feedback and embracing our company value of courage so we can support where needed and we hear your feedback. Our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion has been an exciting initiative led by employees who have embraced a growth mindset and want to expand their learning and development at FreeWill and push us to continue to be better which we truly value. We want to note that the majority of employees at FreeWill are not nor haven't ever been placed on a PIP. The small percentage of those that are, have a high likelihood of passing which is always our hope as PIPs are not meant to be punitive or threatening but an opportunity to improve. We also want to note that with a shift in Sales leadership there has been a revised approach to PIPs, an increase in training around discovery best practices, and more external resources being provided to further support current and new Sales team members. Thank you again for taking the time to share and for your time at FreeWill and we wish you the best!

Explore other reviews about FreeWill

5.0
6 Mar 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

MIssion driven Caring employees Innovative

Cons

Slow growth and a strong culture lead to low promotion opportunities

1
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FreeWill Response
3mo
Thank you for sharing about your experience these past few years and we're glad you've had a great experience with company culture!
4.0
25 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

work is genuinely meaningful: selling in support of nonprofits doing good, with a team that's smart, kind, and well-resourced. SPIFFs, conference travel, and consistent investment in sales tech (ex. Claude Pro). sales leadership (although a revolving door) has been supportive and encouraging in growing my skill sets and providing promotion opportunities. company provides generous PTO and parental leave, annual gifts, stock options, and WFH and professional development stipends. CEOs and department leaders are aspirational and inspiring.

Cons

competitive market to sell into, newer products still establishing PMF, team has seen staff turnover which created short-term uncertainty but also opened up real opportunity for people who stayed. feels like some folks in management speak down to others, but you learn to tune it out.

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