inside sales representative

low voltage technician

consulting engineer

service engineer

senior solution architect

Heartland Business Systems

If you're looking for a job or internship that develops your skills to get into the industry, this would be a great place to start. However, if you're looking for a long-term job that pays well and supports a healthy work-life balance, definitely look elsewhere. 

I loved working with the other engineering staff, and they were some of the smartest people I ever had the pleasure of working with. It was also nice having a company vehicle that I could use personally and a flexible PTO regime. However, that's where the good things end...

The management doesn't seem to care about struggling employees, and has a tendency to either let them burn out and quit, or to fire them for not making their (unobtainable) goals. Promises to change are made, but never kept.

The sales staff are openly valued much more highly than the employees actually doing the work, and frequently sell things that can't be done. The company then blames the gaff entirely on the engineering staff and forces them to apologize to the upset client, while the sales side gets off without even the slightest warning. Account managers frequently withhold information to make a buck, even if that means losing a customer or harming someone's reputation.

Wages are poor, and raises are laughable (1-2% per year, on a starting salary that's already significantly below the low end of 'average'). Bonuses are based solely on number of hours billed, so if you have a slow year, that's your fault too. No soup for you. Don't be surprised when the managers all brag about how the company had record profits (again), though. 

Hours are unpredictable, and you can expect to have normal 40-hour weeks, coupled with others where you may do close to 60. You are expected to answer calls at all hours of the day, night, weekends and holidays and are expected to travel at a moment's notice. Don't be surprised when they call you back-to-back on vacation either. 

Pros

Team members were generally friendly, and compensation was competitive for the role. There were opportunities for advancement as positions periodically became available. The experience provided exposure to a variety of responsibilities and expectations.

Cons

Strategic planning and engagement from senior leadership felt limited, which made it difficult to maintain clear direction and momentum. There were opportunities to better leverage recurring revenue models rather than focusing heavily on one-time monthly sales. Follow-up and consistency could be improved, and there was often a strong emphasis on short-term numbers rather than long-term customer satisfaction and outcomes.

While the unlimited PTO policy sounded appealing, it could be difficult to use effectively, as returning from time off often meant managing a significant backlog of work. Several internal processes and software systems felt cumbersome, adding friction to daily tasks. Company-wide virtual meetings were occasionally lengthy and not always as productive. Turnover sometimes created openings for advancement, but also contributed to a lack of continuity.

Advice to Management

Continue building trust with employees by aligning actions with stated priorities and simplifying workflows where possible. Greater focus on sustainable, recurring revenue opportunities and consistent communication could help improve both employee experience and customer outcomes. Strengthening planning processes and ensuring meetings are purposeful and efficient would improve overall effectiveness.

Co-workers very caddy/cliquey, high employee turnover, unstable work environment. They treat you like everyone is replaceable you feel like you're on eggshells working there like any minute you could be canned. Very stressful, technicians get strung out and work many hours and are also stressed out. Very volatile work environment and very unstable would not suggest working here. Engineers are also very arrogant and act like they are all knowing and make newcomers feel stupid and like they are outcasts even after going out of your way to try and fit in. Co workers not very pleasant or nice. Feels like being in high school with different cliques. Also threatened many times to not let the owner catch you doing things the wrong way. Poor training provided, management very poor. Also promised advancement opportunities and never gotten them.

This company culture is awful - the worst HR Department I have ever experienced - nothing is confidential, no real effort or culture to serve or assist employees in any regard - the manufacturing side is slightly better than the computer side-but this entire company needs an overhaul in management at every single level.  The working conditions and cleanliness of this office are disgusting, from the desks to the bathrooms - how can a company be this large and care so little for their employees - huge turnover-don't take your problems to the HR office - they will share your personal business with everyone!  Stay away.

If you have skills you will be overworked. If you have ideas you will be ignored. If you have problems caused by "the way it's always been done" and suggestions on how to fix them, you will be told to find a way to solve the problem yourself within the current processes. You will train yourself and advocate for yourself. The company is focused on profit and its value.

If you are early in your career you can learn a lot quickly on account of the sink or swim environment. It can be a good step for someone early in their career. Those who have been there longer become unhappy.

There some good points about HBS however when compared to other companies you can find far better.
If you are looking to be paid fairly, then I would look elsewhere. Unless you are involved in very specific areas you will be at if not under the industry norms for compensation. Advancement is another area you will not see much movement. HBS has a strong good old boys network at play within their environment and most of its members are close friends, so unless you can become a member, you probably won't go far. There employees have always seemed like an after thought.

The new members of the senior leadership team have created a lot of instability within the company. Since they arrived, there have been repeated rounds of layoffs and constant organizational restructuring, making it difficult for teams to maintain momentum or feel secure in their roles. At the same time, leadership seems overly focused on trying to implement quick fixes through AI rather than investing in thoughtful, sustainable improvements. The frequent changes and cost-cutting measures have negatively impacted morale and made it challenging for employees to plan, collaborate, and do their best work.


Must have a very independent mindset to manage in this company. You will spend most days working alone and out of your car in terms of consulting with various customers that Heartland puts you on. If working in the small business area, you will be expected to be well-versed in a vast array of technology. You will be expected to keep up to date on all of these areas. There is very little to no training in terms of training.

Hard to believe that this company has been around for 25 years, when they have few processes in place.   One sales group has a whole different way to do things vs all the others.   You can not be President and a Sales Representative....choose one or the other.  They believe in hiring friends and family.  When you are hired from outside of the "circle", you will always be an outsider.   
You know that branding is non-existent when folks in the Fox Valley "What do they do???  Never heard of them."   Really....25 years and folks ask what they do.

Could be such a wonderful company to work for however management is awful. Things said in interview process were lies…working remote, having a work/life balance, fun working environment. When walking throughout the building and you say hello or good morning to managers or owner and get no response is a complete slap in the face. Reviews and one on ones are a complete joke! Such a shame, as I was extremely interested in this company for many years, until I worked for them. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Inside sales representative 2 salaries reported	$45,000 per year
Low voltage technician 10 salaries reported	$29.80 per hour
Consulting engineer 3 salaries reported	$71,667 per year
Service engineer 4 salaries reported	$59,500 per year
Senior solution architect 6 salaries reported	$126,667 per year

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