Smoke and mirrors - Sales Development Representative Cvent Employee Review

3.0
May 17, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Ability to move up quickly Cool product Office is modern Benefits are okay

Cons

While Cvent is still trying to fix its diversity and inclusion, they have a long way to go. Starting at the top. They are making efforts, but not sure if it is because they are "supposed to" or if because it is the right thing to do Retention is only because they make you sign a loan to stay. they do not tell you about the loan until your first day at the job. If you leave before 18 months you have to pay the loan back. This policy is ambiguous and does not apply to everyone. Event after you get promoted, they make you sign a 1 year loan to stay. Never have seen anything like this in my life. If you treat people right, retention will follow. You shouldn't have to contractually hold someone to stay. The pay is terrible for the DC area. Lots of internal politics. You do not have the opportunity to travel internationally like they market/advertise on job descriptions. Such a small opportunity They don't completely lie to you, but they stretch the truth change payment and comp plan/KPIs frequently - no checks and balances

Explore other reviews about Cvent

5.0
Mar 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great people and the job was fun.

Cons

Did not get paid what I’m worth. Not flexible in pay. Kept in the dark regarding pay for a long time.

1.0
Jul 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I tried to come up with one, but simply cannot.

Cons

The pay and benefits are well below industry standards. Cvent loves to talk about being a SaaS industry leader, and in the same sentence offer you "benefits" from the 90s (accrued PTO, vesting 401k, etc). The OTEs are a good 30-40% below industry standards as well. OTE obviously it not everything, but it comes with a complimentary bogus commission plan. Sold a big deal in Q1 that gets you to 200% for the quarter? Hope you enjoy getting only 125% of that. They hang on to the rest to pay you out on any underperforming quarters, which is paternalistic and does not respect the time value of the money you earned. My other primary complaint is the abysmal culture. Granted, Cvent's goal is certainly to create an army of employees who never talk negatively of the company and praise its every move. So congrats to them, they have largely achieved this. For those of us who can see past this facade, it is a dark reality. They still refer to themselves as a family, which I thought companies had learned long ago was something you should not do. I also witnessed a whole auditorium of employees stand and clap for the CEO when he came on stage, which was so dystopian and disturbing. Both of these points can best be summarized by when I shared my critique of the new commission plan with a sales leader. We were not given our Q1 quotas/commission plans until well after the quarter was complete, which is a failure on so many levels. When I gave this feedback, I was told its "just a small step back for the company on the march towards the company's revenue goal." No rep should be asked to sacrifice their own success and financial planning for the benefit of their corporate overlords. If you are in SaaS sales, please look elsewhere.

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