Challenging Work Environment with Unrealistic Expectations (AKA Toxic)
Pros
Remote work, great salary, and learning how to handle a high-stress work environment.
Cons
I worked as a Customer Success Manager at Deel and, unfortunately, found the work environment to be highly demanding and, at times, toxic. There was an expectation to be constantly available—including weekends—frequently receiving messages from leadership and clients outside of business hours. The typical workday often extended well beyond 10 hours, and the high volume of unhappy clients only compounded the pressure. Deel has a tendency to move too quickly with product releases. Features are frequently rolled out before they're ready, which results in a high number of bugs and ongoing issues. This was especially apparent in the payroll products for the U.S. (PEO and Payroll), where payment failures were not uncommon and, in some cases, led to employees not being paid on time. Leadership—up to the CEO level—is very involved and often directly engaged in client-facing Slack channels. Clients are given access to Slack, email, and phone support, which creates an always-on environment for CSMs. If response times are even slightly delayed, you will be followed up on by the CEO and senior leadership. The role itself is extremely reactive despite ongoing messaging about the importance of being proactive. Fires break out daily, and just when you feel like you've regained control, something unexpected arises that can quickly overwhelm your workload. Book of business (BOB) expectations are also inconsistent and often unrealistic. While I was initially told I’d manage a strategic portfolio of about 40 accounts, I was ultimately assigned over 80—most of which were already in poor health and required significant attention. Some colleagues had 120+ accounts, while others had far fewer without a clear rationale behind the distribution. Many of the challenges stem from overpromising during the sales process, bad onboarding, a platform that lacks user-friendliness, unclear invoicing, hidden fees, and misalignment between leadership and frontline teams. Overall, the demands of the role will significantly impact work-life balance and well-being. I would advise prospective candidates to thoroughly evaluate whether this environment aligns with their expectations and personal boundaries.
