IRIS Software Group

1.0

Sep 10, 2024

Recommend

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Business outlook

Pros

There are a few positive aspects of working at IRIS Software Group. One of the main benefits is the flexibility to work from home, which is available to senior members of the sales team. Additionally, colleagues are friendly and collaborative, which helps create a positive and supportive working environment.

Cons

The negatives far outweigh the positives. The compensation for sales roles is significantly below the industry average, with a large gap between what is promised during recruitment and the actual reality of the job. While new hires are told they can earn six figures by the end of the year, this is rarely the case. Meeting sales targets is extremely difficult due to several factors, including poor product quality, ineffective marketing strategies, inefficient post-sales processes, a lack of data and leads, and limited support or tools to help employees succeed. Even when targets are met, the commission structure is disappointing, with employees only earning 3-5% of sales. Given the base salary, which is barely above the national minimum wage, it's not surprising that many employees leave within six months. Employee turnover is a significant issue. New hires are often lured in with unrealistic promises but are not provided with the resources, support, or training they need to succeed. From day one, employees are expected to meet targets despite having little experience and no meaningful data to work from, which results in many making little to no money. The company has seen record levels of attrition, largely because of low pay and poor working conditions. For those who do stay beyond the initial six months, career growth and progression opportunities are virtually non-existent. Management frequently changes structures and strategies, making it difficult for employees to adapt and consistently meet sales goals. Some recent organizational changes have also negatively impacted key support teams, including SOP, credit control, and implementation. On the rare occasion that a sale is made, issues arising from poor post-sales processes, software bugs, and nonexistent customer support often make the effort seem fruitless. Sales teams are left handling customer complaints and problems that are beyond their control, further complicating their ability to focus on their core tasks. Following the company's recent sale, there has been a significant shift in management and the structure of various teams. Whole departments, such as the SDR team, have been hired and fired, and any remaining incentives or recognition for the sales team's efforts have disappeared. The few remaining aspects of the company's culture have vanished, leaving sales executives feeling demotivated, underpaid, and overworked. Monthly bonuses and incentives have been removed, yet targets have doubled, all while there has been no improvement to the available data, resources, or marketing support. Management has attempted to offer so-called "promotions" to some employees, but these promotions did not come with salary increases, instead merely transferring responsibility to other departments. Micromanagement is another major issue, particularly in the Manchester office, where directors closely monitor employees’ every move, even dictating when breaks can be taken. More emphasis is placed on talk time and the number of calls made, rather than on providing the necessary tools and support to enable the sales team to succeed. In summary, the company seems to be in complete disarray, with management appearing unaware of how to fix the numerous issues plaguing the business.

IRIS Software Group Response

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, although we’re surprised and disappointed by your comments. We’re passionate about paying our employees fairly and competitively to reward their dedication and hard work. As well as being a Real Living Wage Employer, meaning we commit to pay a fair wage to cover at least the real cost of living in the UK, we’re pleased to run a companywide annual salary review process each autumn, which includes external benchmarking data to ensure we’re paying the market rate. For our junior salespeople, we’re also delighted to operate a pay scale so that they can grow their salaries as they reach key skill milestones and grow their career with us. We also offer a comprehensive commission scheme that supports employees through monthly payments, set monthly and quarterly quotas, and the chance to earn up to 200% of commission when they achieve their target. We further offer a range of other incentives throughout the year to reward consistent achievement, such as running a recognition award for our highest performing salespeople each quarter with fantastic prizes, as well as inviting our Elite Club on luxury trips. We recognise the importance of ensuring that new starters receive the right support and environment to thrive. We run a sales induction where each team has a tailored product training programme designed with their manager and delivered by our Product Specialists. It covers an end-to-end sales process, with each stage having individual training modules such as Effective Introductions, Questioning and Listening, NLP and Closing techniques. We have a dedicated Sales training team to ensure that everyone receives the support they need. We also promote our Showpad tool, which provides instant information on our products, services and process. New starters are then given the chance to practice these skills and techniques in a week of mock calls to give them the chance to gain feedback and additional training/coaching if required. In total the induction spans 4 weeks and gives new starters of all levels of experience the tools and skills needed to be successful. We’re also delighted to invest in our managers through our dedicated leadership pathways. We offer 5 pathways designed for each level of experience and seniority, starting with those aspiring to be managers all the way up to our senior leaders, to ensure every manager has the skills needed to motivate, develop and inspire their teams. We’re delighted to have now started the next phase of our job architecture project, following the creation of our career framework, we are now looking to roll out the skill and competencies for each role, to support clear career progression. We highly value our employee’s feedback and believe it’s the key to making IRIS a Great Place To Work and do this through running regular employee surveys and conducting focus groups so employees can share their thoughts and feedback to make IRIS the best it can be. Based on feedback, we’ve recently changed our policies on breaks for our Sales Team, giving them more flexibility in choosing their break times. We’ve also recently got a new leadership team within sales and a key focus of theirs is ensuring a great culture and supportive atmosphere, whilst achieving great results. We’re always looking for ways we can be the best we can be, and we would welcome any further suggestions. Please speak to your HR representative while at IRIS or email employee.feedback@iris.co.uk if you have more feedback to share. Kind regards, the HR team

Low Pay and High Turnover - Sales IRIS Software Group Employee Review

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