I have worked at multiple consulting service companies that offered engineers commission for bringing in new business. Now that I'm at a product company I'm being told this is not industry standard, but am still expected to leverage my personal contacts to aide the sales team. Are there other notable product companies that offer commissions outside the sales department?
Ask HN: Does your company offer commission for engineers?
1–10 of 12 posts
Re: Ask HN: Does your company offer commission for engineers?
#2I never worked at a company (in the CATV industry) that paid commissions to engineers ... even when the engineer was enlisted to help with the sales process. Leveraging your personal contacts seems like a good way for those "friendships" to dry up. You're not an Amway distributor right?
Re: Ask HN: Does your company offer commission for engineers?
#3I never worked at a company (in the CATV industry) that paid commissions to engineers ... even when the engineer was enlisted to help with the sales process. Leveraging your personal contacts seems like a good way for those "friendships" to dry up. You're not an Amway distributor right?
There's a big difference though between "I helped scope the work and talk with the prospect / demo / whatever" vs. "I was the sole source of this customer and made the introduction." I don't mind bringing something to a friend if they're likely to be genuinely interested in it, but it seems weird for sales to be like "can you introduce me to your connection on LinkedIn."
Re: Ask HN: Does your company offer commission for engineers?
#4It happens in consulting companies, not product so much, because consultants can often undercut.
Re: Ask HN: Does your company offer commission for engineers?
#5I have never heard of a software company that offers commissions like this before, personally. I've also never heard of companies that expect devs to leverage personal contacts on behalf of the sales team.
Re: Ask HN: Does your company offer commission for engineers?
#6I have never heard of a software company that offers commissions like this before, personally. I've also never heard of companies that expect devs to leverage personal contacts on behalf of the sales team.
ive never seen it for sales either, but ive seen it for recruiting. get everyone in a room, give them a linkedin search, and tell them to add people to a spreadsheet for sourcers to reach out to. i always nope out of those, they cant really force you to give up your friends, so id just ignore any expectation of leveraging contacts
Re: Ask HN: Does your company offer commission for engineers?
#7I have never heard of a software company that offers commissions like this before, personally. I've also never heard of companies that expect devs to leverage personal contacts on behalf of the sales team.
ive never seen it for sales either, but ive seen it for recruiting. get everyone in a room, give them a linkedin search, and tell them to add people to a spreadsheet for sourcers to reach out to. i always nope out of those, they cant really force you to give up your friends, so id just ignore any expectation of leveraging contacts
> give them a linkedin search, and tell them to add people to a spreadsheet for sourcers to reach out to
Maybe that practice is a big part of what makes LinkedIn so horrible. The constant spam from recruiters is what led me to delete my LinkedIn account.
Re: Ask HN: Does your company offer commission for engineers?
#8Company asking employees to work their personal contacts is usually a big red flag.
Re: Ask HN: Does your company offer commission for engineers?
#9Company asking employees to work their personal contacts is usually a big red flag.
What do you mean? Why do you see this as a red flag?