Thread regarding Pearson PLC layoffs

To “I’ve worked for Pearson for 20 years...”

That’s exactly how I expected those visits to go if I didn’t spend Monday-Thursday on campus. My territory was a major city in the east, so I couldn’t rely on friendliness from profs, decision makers, and building security. Physically getting through security and into each building was a major challenge (and sometimes a failure) in itself. Still, I managed to achieve the highest digital subscriptions/reinvents, takeaway/new business revenue, and overall revenue in my region. I didn’t have the finesse to brag about it to managers and hoped the numbers spoke for themselves, but somehow they did not. In the last few cuts, I was laid off while several nearby slimy reps got to stay and absorb my business. Today, I see it as a gift and don’t miss the anxiety of receiving a call from a Regional Manager casually demanding “Take me to [most unfriendly/highly secured private university]!” with a week’s notice.

My only question is: what happened to the rep who brought you to meet with a deceased decision maker? Did they lose their job or continue to slime their way to job security?

I've worked for Pearson for 20 years. Over that time, a large part of my role was to travel with reps on campus, and provide sales support for the disciplines in which I worked.

I could tell within 5 minutes of arriving whether or not the rep was actively working the relevant departments. It really was a stark difference. In departments where the rep visited frequently, everything was easier. People knew the reps, the rep was often alerted to coming changes in advance, and the profs were more willing to talk with us.

For the campuses where the rep was not active on campus, it was a very different story. The department was unfriendly, and the rep often seemed confused and lost. I once drove two hours with a rep to meet an instructor he considered "key" to the decision, only to discover when we arrived that the instructor had passed away several months previously.

I will say that there's no question that certain regions of the country are easier to work. The southeast and midwest and Alaska have instructors who are friendlier and more open to talking with reps, whereas professors in the northeast and California often seemed to busy/ cranky to even say hello.

100% yes. We can meet a dozen professors from multiple campuses instead of wasting 5 hours in traffic. Sales meetings are a complete waste of resources. Haven't we learned anything from being online on how to conduct business differently? Huge liability thinking they should fly us across the country to squish into a germ infested hotel to waste a million dollars and learn what we could've on Zoom. Put that into paychecks instead!

The idea that you can close business without going to campus is why I never lost a significant adoption to Pearson.

@dczt+18k3juZ3 Sounds to me like several layers of worthless middle management that need to get pink slips very soon.

I’m not even being sarcastic - people seriously did all that personal stuff instead of going on campus? I was a rep a few years ago and could have never gotten away with that. With my manager, regional managers, and even directors asking to join me on campus with like a week’s notice, I can’t imagine bringing them to meet faculty without having been on campus enough times to be prepared for it. I feel like the ultimate clown now because every year my numbers were the highest on my team and I never understood why 😭

The whole "get me to campus" thing is a joke and always has been. "Get me to campus" always involved...dropping off laundry, shopping, meeting friends for lunch, running ever other personal errand in the book and spending a few hours piddling around.

The reps who talked constantly about "being on campus" were the ones who never worked.

Being on campus never mattered and never will.

Well it wont now, because the hatchet is coming for sales. There's no growth, so its all about consolidation.

“Underpaid entry level”...?
Hahaha....once you leave you’ll understand that EVERYONE there is underpaid. It’s a complete joke how terrible of a job it is at Pearson.

“Get me to campus ASAP” must be one of the low-paid entry-level sales reps they hired after laying off the over-paid baby boomer sales reps 😂

I don’t care if I work from home or not, I just don’t want to have to see or hear KW’s voice ever again. Dude creeps me out!

Absolutely I would. I don’t have to worry about my commute anymore and my boss s—s so less time I have to see them face to face. Plus when there is downtime I can do laundry or other things around the house rather than looking for work or pretending I am busy to fill the hours like it was when we were in the office.