Inspiring mission, collaborative culture, but navigating constant change
Pros
Exceptional benefits that are truly industry-leading, including six months of parental leave, daycare discounts, strong health insurance options, and support like doula reimbursement. Salesforce genuinely invests in employee well-being. Most people are collaborative, friendly, and mission-driven, and the VTO/1:1:1 philanthropy model is one of the strongest and most authentic I’ve seen and giving back is not performative here. There are great internal tools like Slack, an abundance of learning and development resources, and many opportunities for lateral and experimental career growth. As a global company, you work with people from all over the world and may have opportunities to travel for business-critical work, which adds meaningful perspective and connection. When teams are aligned, the work can be impactful and deeply rewarding.
Cons
There is a heavy emphasis on “eating our own dog food,” even when internal tools are not yet best-in-class, which can slow execution compared to leveraging stronger, out-of-the-box external solutions. This is especially challenging in fast-moving environments where speed and quality matter. Career progression can also feel unclear and inequitable, particularly for non-sales and non-engineering roles. Promotions often feel highly political, and the internal hiring and mobility process can be frustrating. Communication from recruiters and hiring managers is inconsistent, with limited follow-up or closure, and there is little transparency around how internal candidates are evaluated relative to external applicants. Even when outcomes are not favorable, more consistent professionalism, clarity, and basic decorum would significantly improve the experience. The cultural shift post-COVID has been significant. What was once more flexible and values-led now often feels increasingly rigorous, draining, and burnout-prone. Frequent re-orgs and RIFs, reduced transparency, and constant change contribute to fatigue and ongoing uncertainty about the company’s near-term direction. Diversity across teams and leadership remains inconsistent. While meaningful progress had been underway, recent shifts in the U.S. climate appear to have slowed or deprioritized initiatives that were truly moving the needle, making opportunities for underrepresented groups feel less visible and intentional. Finally, limited travel and expense budgets for non-sales roles can reinforce the perception that certain functions are undervalued. Some leaders are also rewarded primarily for delivery despite lacking strong people-leadership skills, resulting in too many “doers” and not enough leaders focused on developing, supporting, and empowering talent.