Believe the Cons Section of the Reviews - Sales Development Manager Navan Employee Review

1.0
7 July 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The only "exciting" thing was the "opportunity" and the benefits. These things can be very blinding because they are so strongly positioned during the interview and hiring process despite being completely false.

Cons

Everyone thinks the cons sections are written by disgruntled ex-employees, but in reality many of us are looking out for the next round of candidates because we know firsthand what it was like to work here. The work life balance is non-existent and the culture is toxic. During my tenure, I had asked for one week of vacation almost 5 months in advance. I was told "it would be best it you don't take more than 2-3 days at a time, can you shorten your trip?", despite both my male counterparts taking 2 and 3 weeks simultaneously. Unfortunately, when you have a young company, there is also a sense of entitlement and lack of work ethic. People expect promotions way too soon (as promised during the interview process) and when you have to put a team member on a PIP (which is a tool to help them) it comes across as a personal attack. I have coached teams in the past of all backgrounds, ages, education levels, etc and have never had more pushback from reps than in this organization. If they didn't like what you said, they would go over your head to your boss to complain. The kicker - they were being asked to make more calls (a core part of being in sales!). Upper management is also a disaster. They promote individual contributors to management with zero training on the proper way to coach and support teams. Just because you are good at sales does not automatically make you a capable manager. Upper/middle management is even worse. Many still try to stay relevant and will go out drinking and share too many personal details with sales reps (sex life, drugs, etc). Its no wonder that there is no sense of respect or boundaries within the hierarchy. The vision they paint for you is amazing and everyone drinks the Kool-Aid for their first few months, but once you are out and look back on that period of your life you realize that it was one of the most toxic experiences you could have been a part of. Believe these stories and listen to your intuition as you consider your next role.

avatar
Navan Response
4y
Thank you for sharing your candid feedback. I am sincerely sorry to hear this was your experience at TripActions. And I am quite confident this is an isolated instance. We believe people do their best work when they are healthy in mind, body and spirit. And we are supportive of people taking PTO. In fact, we have dedicated the week of July 4th and the last two weeks of December to a company-wide shutdown to further promote people taking time to refresh and recharge. Over my last 18 months at TripActions, I have seen significant focus on women in sales. And we have made great strides in terms of diversity. This is deeply ingrained in our values and actions. I’m sorry to hear that you did not feel this during your time here. As it relates to sales leader development, we recently launched “Sales Leadership Academy” with the goal of unifying our approach across the organization. It is unfortunate this wasn’t available yet while you were at TripActions. We promote a culture and environment of respect so that people feel supported and are able to do their best work regardless of their gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or ethnicity. Thanks again for your feedback and I encourage you to connect with your former colleagues to hear about improvements over the past months and quarters.

Explore other reviews about Navan

5.0
28 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Lots of opportunity for advancement, pay compensation, mentor opportunities, great work environment, diversity and equality.

Cons

notice of sick time usage for it to count as Excused Absence, the ability to trade shifts as all U.S. based workers work Monday thru Friday with the earliest shist starting at 8 am and the latest starting at 12 pm CST

5.0
27 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fast paced, plenty of room and opportunity to grow. Very good starting pay and ability to earn bonuses. Many remote work options. Strong culture and supportive leadership, with fun company events (like the Christmas party) that help people feel connected, even for the many remote employees.

Cons

The pre‑hire assessment is very strict and pass/fail. I’ve referred strong, experienced candidates who I know are good workers, but they did not pass the test and were not given the opportunity to move forward. It feels like the process may screen out some high‑potential talent who could otherwise thrive here.

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