Was a good company, but nosediving pretty hard - Anonymous employee Certinia Employee Review

1.0
Jul 18, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There were some nice people there. In a lot of ways the experience was a great lesson in what not to do. The CEO of the company is great, and I definitely hope he can turn things around.

Cons

If I had to sum up my experience at FinancialForce with one word, it would be Arrogance. Management seems to think that their thoughts come directly from the word of God, and any thoughtpiece that goes against what they say gets met with scorn. Even when pointing out mistakes, such as using improper industry terms in client facing materials, or basic lessons in statistics, gets countered with a mere "We paid a consultant for this, so it is right" despite the fact that they are objectively wrong. It is no surprise that the company is now failing every single sales metric that they need to not fail to be successful (new business, pipeline, retention rate). Also, they have a culture of hiring from outside as opposed to promoting from within. It was a struggle to get any department to take me seriously for a lateral move, yet I had many top tier companies in the Bay Area considering me for an external promotion. It should be the opposite, sadly, here at FinancialForce it is not. In short, not a very good investment of your career and time.

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5.0
Nov 27, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good relaxed environment with good learning opportunities

Cons

Limited exposure to broader tech stack like multi-cloud

1.0
Mar 31, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The biggest positives of this company are largely tied to what it used to be (the past) and the people who have been part of it. There was previously strong leadership in place, and many of those individuals helped build a solid foundation before ultimately leaving, which says a lot in itself. On top of that, there are genuinely incredible individual contributors across the organization, smart, hardworking, and supportive people who are doing their best in a very challenging environment. Ironically, because of how difficult things have become at the leadership level, it creates a uniquely strong bond among peers. Going through constant challenges, uncertainty, and frustration together builds real camaraderie, and many of the relationships you form here are meaningful and lasting.

Cons

If you’re considering a sales role here, I would strongly encourage you to think twice before joining. The biggest challenge is leadership. In my experience, it is the weakest I’ve seen in my career. There is a clear disconnect between executive priorities and what’s actually needed to build a healthy, successful sales organization. Many decisions feel short-term and financially driven, with a strong focus on positioning the company for a potential private equity outcome rather than investing in long-term employee success or customer value. There have also been ongoing internal concerns raised over time, including escalations to HR. However, there is a widespread perception/proof among employees that these issues are not meaningfully addressed or followed through on. This has led to a lack of trust in internal processes and a feeling that employee concerns are not prioritized. Over the past several months, a number of strong and respected leaders have left the organization. That alone should be a signal. The level of turnover has had a noticeable impact on morale, stability, and overall confidence in the direction of the company. From a sales perspective, the product itself presents challenges. PSA is a relatively niche category and often viewed as a “nice-to-have” rather than a must-have, especially in the current economic environment. Competition is strong, and it can be difficult to win deals. Additionally, the dependency on Salesforce creates real friction in the sales cycle. For example, newer AI-related offerings are tied to Salesforce’s Agentforce, meaning customers often need to purchase additional, expensive Salesforce products before they can even consider Certinia’s solutions. This adds complexity, slows down deals, and limits your ability to sell independently. During the interview process, you’ll likely meet some great, talented people. That part is genuine. However, many of those individuals will not stay long, and turnover can leave you in a very different environment than what you initially signed up for. Overall, I would not recommend this company for sales professionals looking for stability, strong leadership, and a product with clear, urgent market demand. There are significantly better opportunities out there. Trust me.

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