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Practising for the listing PEO Sales, Account Executive. Its requirements are filled in below. When you have an answer you like, paste it with your CV in Career Mirror to see which of the job's skills it shows.

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PEO Sales, Account Executive
About Gusto

At Gusto, we're on a mission to grow the small business economy. We handle the hard stuff — payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR — so owners can focus on their craft and their customers. With teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, we support more than 500,000 small businesses nationwide and are building a workplace that reflects the people we serve.

All full-time employees receive competitive base pay, benefits, and equity (RSUs) — because everyone who helps build Gusto should share in its success. Offer amounts are determined by role, level, and location. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy .

AI is a fundamental part of how work gets done at Gusto. We expect all team members to actively engage with AI tools relevant to their role and grow their fluency as the technology evolves. AI experience requirements vary by role and will be assessed during the interview process.

About the Role:

Gusto is building its PEO sales org from the ground up, and we're looking for a quota-carrying seller to be one of the founding members of that team. This is a true ground-floor opportunity: you'll be among the first reps closing PEO business at Gusto, working directly with the Head of PEO Sales to prove out and scale the motion. You'll drive new PEO revenue by selling Gusto's co-employment solution to both net-new prospects and our existing base of 400,000+ customers — Gusto's single biggest competitive advantage over legacy PEOs. The market opportunity is real, the pace is fast, and the early sellers on this team will help define what "good" looks like.Use AI-powered workflows as a core part of how you sell: running assigned tools daily, surfacing friction and inefficiencies as you find them, and collaborating with your team to influence what gets built or improved next. If you're excited to roll up your sleeves, lead by example, and architect something from scratch, let's talk.

About the Team:

You'll be an early individual contributor on Gusto's founding PEO sales team, reporting to the Head of PEO Sales. As one of the first sellers, you'll carry a personal book of business, run the full sales cycle end to end, and serve as a Subject Matter Expert who guides prospects through complex co-employment buying decisions. You'll partner closely with HR, benefits, and payroll counterparts to deliver a seamless customer experience, and you'll work alongside the Head of PEO to surface what's working in the field — feedback that directly shapes the playbook, tooling, and pipeline architecture as the org scales. Your biggest unfair advantage: Gusto's existing install base. Like the best scaled PEOs, a meaningful share of your pipeline will come from converting existing payroll customers to PEO — and you'll be one of the first to run that motion at scale.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

• Own the full sales cycle. Prospect, qualify, run discovery, demo, navigate complex buying groups, and close. This is a quota-carrying role for a seller who's comfortable owning a deal from first touch to signed agreement.

• Sell across both motions. Close net-new prospects and convert existing Gusto payroll customers to PEO. You'll learn the distinct objections, value propositions, and rhythms of in-base selling vs. cold-start prospecting.

• Serve as a PEO Subject Matter Expert. Guide prospects through co-employment, benefits, compliance, and the practical realities of moving onto a PEO. Build and maintain deep knowledge of PEO compliance, co-employment regulations, and applicable state and federal employment law.

• Sell with selling-season fluency. Understand and plan around PEO's concentrated selling window (Sept–Dec, with the bulk of new business landing Jan 1). Build pipeline early and manage your funnel to hit those timelines.

• Work the channel. Partner with broker, GA, and accountant referral sources to develop pipeline, and feed insights back on what's converting.

• Manage your pipeline rigorously. Keep Salesforce clean and current, forecast accurately, and operate within the sales stages, routing, and reporting the team establishes.

• Use AI to sell smarter. Bring genuine AI fluency to your daily workflow — leveraging AI tools for prospecting, call prep, follow-up, and forecast hygiene. We expect our sellers to be hands-on with AI and to share what's working with the broader team.

• Collaborate cross-functionally. Work closely with Marketing, Product, and the broader Sales org to surface market signals, sharpen positioning, and improve the customer experience.

Here’s what we're looking for:

• PEO / HCM Sales Experience: 4+ years in a closing sales role, ideally in PEO, HCM, or benefits. Direct PEO selling experience is strongly preferred.

• Quota Attainment: Consistent, demonstrable track record of meeting and exceeding individual sales targets.

• Full-Cycle Ownership: Proven ability to own a deal end to end — prospecting, discovery, multi-stakeholder navigation, and close — in a consultative, complex sale.

• Selling-Season Fluency: Familiarity with PEO's Jan 1 selling cycle (Sept–Dec pipeline build, renewal dynamics) is a strong plus and a key screen for PEO-specific experience vs. generic HCM.

• Install-Base Conversion: Experience selling into or converting an existing customer base to a higher-tier or adjacent product is a plus.

• Channel Familiarity: Understanding of broker, GA, and accountant referral channels in the PEO or benefits space.

• Sales Acumen: Strong working knowledge of inbound and outbound sales methodologies in SMB SaaS or HCM/PEO environments.

• Collaboration: Ability to work effectively across HR, Benefits, Product, and Marketing; excellent interpersonal skills.

• AI Fluency: Proven, day-to-day experience integrating AI into how you work — across writing, research, prep, and summarization as a core part of your workflow, with a track record of giving clear, useful feedback that helps improve your tools and processes.

• Technical Proficiency: Salesforce.com (SFDC) experience required; familiarity with HCM platforms and benefits administration tools preferred.

Potential compensation for this role is $102,855 to $136,000 OTE USD for Denver, Phoenix, Atlanta metro areas and $132,245 - $165,000 OTE USD in the San Francisco Bay Area locations. T his OTE is structured with a target 60% base pay and 40% commission pay with an uncapped commission structure. Final offer amounts and the exact base/commission split are determined by multiple factors including candidate location, experience, and expertise and may vary from the amounts listed above.

At Gusto, we don't use titles the traditional way, as a signal of rank or hierarchy. Instead, our titles describe two things at once — your craft (what you do, e.g. Engineering, Design) and your scope of ownership (what you're accountable for) — which is why you'll see something like "Head of X" instead of a rank word like "Director" that tells you neither. Because of this, the title on this posting may look different from what you'd expect based on the scope and seniority of the role, and from how similar roles are typically titled elsewhere. If you have questions about how this role compares to your current title or level, your recruiter can help translate.

Gusto has physical office spaces in Denver, San Francisco, and New York City. Employees who are based in those locations will be expected to work from the office on designated days approximately 2-3 days per week (or more depending on role). The same office expectations apply to all Symmetry roles, Gusto's subsidiary, whose physical office is in Scottsdale.

Note: The San Francisco office expectations encompass both the San Francisco and San Jose metro areas.

When approved to work from a location other than a Gusto office, a secure, reliable, and consistent internet connection is required. This includes non-office days for hybrid employees.

Reliable, consistent presence: We expect regular and predictable attendance, whether you're working in-office, hybrid, or fully remote, so that you stay closely connected to your team, customers, and stakeholders in real time and ensure colleagues and customers receive the timely support and responsiveness they deserve.

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for small businesses, you will find a home at Gusto.

Gusto is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Gusto considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Gusto is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. We want to see our candidates perform to the best of their ability. If you require a medical or religious accommodation at any time throughout your candidate journey, please fill out this form and a member of our team will get in touch with you.

Gusto takes security and protection of your personal information very seriously. Please review our Fraudulent Activity Disclaimer .

Personal information collected and processed as part of your Gusto application will be subject to Gusto's Applicant Privacy Notice .

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Requirements found

Sales (nice) Marketing Compliance Salesforce Writing Word

What this posting asks for

Level: Mid level — The posting asks for 4+ years of experience.

Main responsibilities

Own the full sales cycle.
Serve as a PEO Subject Matter Expert.
Build and maintain deep knowledge of PEO compliance, co-employment regulations, and applicable state and federal employment law.
Build pipeline early and manage your funnel to hit those timelines.
Partner with broker, GA, and accountant referral sources to develop pipeline, and feed insights back on what's converting.
Manage your pipeline rigorously.
Work closely with Marketing, Product, and the broader Sales org to surface market signals, sharpen positioning, and improve the customer experience.
Install-Base Conversion: Experience selling into or converting an existing customer base to a higher-tier or adjacent product is a plus.

Competencies an interviewer will look for

Teamwork and collaboration Core
In the posting: “With teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, we support more than 500,000 small businesses nationwide and are building a workplace that reflects the pe…” · “The market opportunity is real, the pace is fast, and the early sellers on this team will help define what "good" looks like.Use AI-powered workflows as a co…” · “Partner with broker, GA, and accountant referral sources to develop pipeline, and feed insights back on what's converting.”
Show it by: Says what they did inside a team, not only what 'we' did; Shows how a disagreement was handled.
Ownership and accountability Core
In the posting: “As one of the first sellers, you'll carry a personal book of business, run the full sales cycle end to end, and serve as a Subject Matter Expert who guides p…” · “Own the full sales cycle.” · “Full-Cycle Ownership: Proven ability to own a deal end to end — prospecting, discovery, multi-stakeholder navigation, and close — in a consultative, complex …”
Show it by: Takes a task from start to finish without being chased; Owns a mistake and what was changed after it.
Customer focus Core
In the posting: “We handle the hard stuff — payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR — so owners can focus on their craft and their customers.” · “You'll drive new PEO revenue by selling Gusto's co-employment solution to both net-new prospects and our existing base of 400,000+ customers — Gusto's single…” · “You'll partner closely with HR, benefits, and payroll counterparts to deliver a seamless customer experience, and you'll work alongside the Head of PEO to su…”
Show it by: Puts the customer's need in their own words; Shows a result for the customer, not only for the company.
Data and analysis Core
In the posting: “You'll be an early individual contributor on Gusto's founding PEO sales team, reporting to the Head of PEO Sales.” · “Partner with broker, GA, and accountant referral sources to develop pipeline, and feed insights back on what's converting.” · “Keep Salesforce clean and current, forecast accurately, and operate within the sales stages, routing, and reporting the team establishes.”
Show it by: Uses a number to describe the situation or the result; Explains what the data showed and what was done with it.
Attention to detail and quality Core
In the posting: “Guide prospects through co-employment, benefits, compliance, and the practical realities of moving onto a PEO.” · “Build and maintain deep knowledge of PEO compliance, co-employment regulations, and applicable state and federal employment law.” · “Keep Salesforce clean and current, forecast accurately, and operate within the sales stages, routing, and reporting the team establishes.”
Show it by: Gives an example of an error caught before it caused harm; Names the check or standard they used.
Stakeholder management Core
In the posting: “The market opportunity is real, the pace is fast, and the early sellers on this team will help define what "good" looks like.Use AI-powered workflows as a co…” · “Full-Cycle Ownership: Proven ability to own a deal end to end — prospecting, discovery, multi-stakeholder navigation, and close — in a consultative, complex …” · “Reliable, consistent presence: We expect regular and predictable attendance, whether you're working in-office, hybrid, or fully remote, so that you stay clos…”
Show it by: Shows how they aligned people with different goals; Explains how they handled a 'no' from someone senior.
Technical skill Core
In the posting: “You'll partner closely with HR, benefits, and payroll counterparts to deliver a seamless customer experience, and you'll work alongside the Head of PEO to su…” · “Engineering, Design) and your scope of ownership (what you're accountable for) — which is why you'll see something like "Head of X" instead of a rank word li…”
Show it by: Names the tools, languages or systems used and how; Explains a technical choice and its trade-off.
Planning and organisation Supporting
In the posting: “Understand and plan around PEO's concentrated selling window (Sept–Dec, with the bulk of new business landing Jan 1).”
Show it by: Shows how priorities were set when everything was urgent; Mentions deadlines met and how.

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Practice questions

Tell me about yourself. Dedicated step-by-step practice.
If an interviewer asks something improper How to respond to questions about age, family, origin or health.
Built from this posting (7):
Describe a time you worked with another team to deliver something. What was your part? From this posting
Tell me about a task you took from start to finish without anyone asking you to. From this posting
Describe a time you went out of your way to solve a customer's problem. From this posting
Tell me about a time you used data or numbers to make a decision. From this posting
How have you used sales in your work? Walk me through one real example. From this posting
Tell me about a problem you solved using marketing. From this posting
You have three urgent tasks due today and time to finish only two. How do you decide? From this posting
This posting reads as Finance & accounting: its questions come first.
How do you make sure your work holds up in an audit? Finance & accounting
Tell me about a time you found an error in a financial report or reconciliation. Finance & accounting
Walk me through how you build a budget or forecast. Finance & accounting
It is the last day of month-end close and a balance will not tie out. What do you do? Finance & accounting
Describe a time you explained a financial result to a manager outside finance. Finance & accounting
Tell me about an analysis that saved money or found revenue. Finance & accounting
Three urgent requests arrive during close. How do you decide the order? Finance & accounting
Describe a finance process you made faster or more reliable. Finance & accounting
Tell me about a sale or agreement you are proud of.
How do you keep your pipeline organised?
Describe a time you handled an upset customer or colleague.
Tell me about a time you had several deadlines at once. How did you decide what to do first?
Give an example of a mistake you caught before it caused a problem.
Tell me about a time you taught someone how to do something.
Describe a time you took the lead without being asked.
Tell me about a time you had to explain something complicated in simple terms.
Describe a process you improved.
Do you have any questions for us?
Why do you want to work here?
Why is there a gap in your employment? Difficult question
Why did you leave your last job? Difficult question
Why are you changing careers? Difficult question
What is your greatest weakness? Difficult question
What are your salary expectations? Difficult question
You seem overqualified for this role. Why do you want it? Difficult question
Improper-question practice: How old are you? / Do you have children? / Where are you from originally?
A customer is angry about a delay you did not cause. What do you do?
How do you keep track of many open customer requests?
Tell me about a time you could not give a customer what they wanted.
You find that the inventory count does not match the system. What do you do?
Tell me about a time a shipment or delivery went wrong.
How do you make sure safety rules are followed on a busy shift?
Two managers ask you to book the same room at the same time. What do you do?
How have you used spreadsheets in your work?
Tell me about a time you had to enter or check a lot of data accurately.
A prospect says your price is too high. How do you respond?
Tell me about a technical problem you solved on your own.
You find a bug right before a release. What do you do?
Walk me through how you would check whether a report's numbers are right.