If you're not a College Campus Hire, CEO, President or other Big Shot, DO NOT APPLY! - Sales Associate PepsiCo Employee Review

1.0
Jul 7, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

PepsiCo looks great on a resume to other potential employers. I you can live through 2+ years with the company, you will be snatched up by another competing company for more money.

Cons

The list goes on and on . . . Pepsi likes to says they pride themselves on work/life balance. Do not be fooled, as this is the furthest from the truth. I was suckered in like many others on false promises or future advancements and opportunities. I was passed over time and time again for promotions because the jobs were already hand-picked for college grads with no life experience and no family. Basically, they wanted people that didn't expect any money for performance and didn't have a life. Also, if you're not checking off enough boxes on your application for ethnicity, military, etc, you are not promotable. The job descriptions are for people they don't want for the job. If you are a Minority, Female, Military etc, none of your previous experience matters, even if you have NO EXPERIENCE. You will get the job. HR is a joke. No, they are not here for you. They are here to protect the company from litigation. They are pretty much lawyers for Pepsi. They encourage you to "Speak up" on their "anonymous" hotline if you feel that there is a major problem. Just to make this clear, it's not to make things better, it's so they can prepare for any upcoming lawsuit. You are doing them a favor by giving them the "heads up". Bonuses and Annual Raises are a big joke. I've seen this comment a lot on the reviews, and it is unfortunately true. Expect 1 to 2% in an annual raise, regardless of your performance. They will tell you if you perform better next year that you will get a much bigger raise. Next year you will be told that even though your results are very good, the company won't approve anything over a 2% raise. If you are getting too close to your annual targets, they will raise the targets so you can't hit them, or change your territory. Then they can tell you at the end of the year how much you suck. There is no such thing as the 40-hour work week. You are at minimum expected to work 10 to 12 hours a day. The compensation isn't great as it is for a 40-hour week, let alone a 50-60 or even 70-hour week. At any given time, there are 20 to 30 top priorities. If you're missing on any of these, you will be questioned daily. Are they aware that soda overall has been on the decline for years? Most of these priorities are ridiculous and unattainable. Pepsi doesn't want to keep employees. They would rather work them to tears before they have a family, and go somewhere else once they have one. Having a life outside of Pepsi is a huge burden for them and their bottom line.

Explore other reviews about PepsiCo

5.0
Jun 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great pay, strong growth in leadership

Cons

Long hours during the summer

4.0
May 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Worked for PepsiCo for 10 years across four locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida. Gained experience in multiple sales and operational roles while supporting account growth, merchandising, and customer relationships. Florida locations were especially well-operated and efficient. PepsiCo provided competitive pay, solid benefits through Keystone, and a good vacation package compared to competitors in the beverage industry. The company also offered strong sales incentive programs, earning rewards such as Orlando Magic floor seats, Pro Bowl tickets, Apple Watches, and Yeti cups for exceeding performance goals and driving sales results.

Cons

While PepsiCo promotes internal growth opportunities, many promotions and leadership opportunities appeared to favor college internship hires over long-term internal employees. In some cases, newer college-based management pushed corporate initiatives without fully understanding local market realities or account volume trends. For example, innovation products were sometimes forced into low-volume accounts where sell-through was unrealistic. Operationally, certain delivery processes could be improved, particularly with Tropicana products being stored in coolers on trucks for extended periods, which could impact product quality and increase waste. Work-life balance could also be challenging, as sales representatives commonly worked 50–60 hour weeks. Expectations from corporate leadership were often unrealistic, especially when customer representatives and drivers were expected to fully stock stores while servicing 15+ accounts per day. Experiences could also vary depending on whether locations were union or non-union operated.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All