Whether you’re getting Xactly certified as a brand-new user or a long-time customer, knowing Xactly what you’re doing, while maybe a bad pun, is never a bad thing. To support your continuing education, Xactly offers certification training year-round from the comfort of your desk, onsite, or at Xactly HQ.
But we think the best way to get certified has to be at CompCloud, the compensation event of the year. Not only is certification free for all registrants, attendees get to learn from compensation leaders - and do it all in beautiful San Francisco.
Still, as an incentive company, we would be remiss to not dive a little deeper into what’s in it for you when you get certified. So, we had a one-on-one with Sonia Rossi, Xactly’s seasoned training and education expert, to discuss the benefits that come along with getting certified.
Question: What does certification offer Xactly users?
Answer: The idea is that we give people the opportunity to get continuing education. To earn the pin and certificate that proves to their colleagues and company that they’re experts in the software.
Question: Who should get certified?
Answer: The question really should be: who shouldn’t get certified? Anyone who touches the application from an administrator role. Even our own customer success team must come to the webinars and take the same classes to get certified. Everyone in support is tasked with getting Level 1 certified in 3 months.
Question: What kind of difference is seen between certified and uncertified users?
Answer: The difference is confidence. Your confidence gets stronger when you have knowledge in the tool. The more that I can do my job with ease and confidence, the more efficient I am at the end of the payroll period, when downloading payroll, or routing plan documents for a new calendar year. Our most successful customers take all the training, get the certification, come to CompCloud, and keep repeating that same pattern.
Question: Why should Xactlians care about getting certified?
Answer: They become more valuable when there’s a review. Maybe they get a bump in salary or get a promotion because they’ve earned Xactly certification. We’ve also had customers looking for work and they’re going up against people that are certified, so they’re coming back to me and saying I need to get Level 1, 2, 3, and 4 certified. I’ve even had administrators pay out-of-pocket for training because they’re interviewing for jobs that require someone with Incent training.
Question: Why should Xactly users get certified at CompCloud?
Answer: Certification is included for free with attendance to the event! It’s never been easier to get certified. You can follow an Analytics track, participate in some breakouts sessions, and get certified all at once. If you’ve been to Disneyland recently, you’ve seen people walking around with lanyards buried with pins on it – representing all the activity they’ve accomplished while at the park. The same vibe will be present at CompCloud, as attendees will be able to earn laptop stickers at each level of certification.
Question: Is there a reason to get re-certified?
Answer: The certification is renewable after 24 months, which encourages professionals to stay current. Our application gets new features every 1 to 2 months. And a few times a year, big features are introduced. Re-certification helps admins keep on top of those changes, and relevant in their position and workplace.
Question: How much should trainees expect to learn?
Answer: I’m very proud that our certification is not a giveaway. Our professional services team have reviewed our certification. It’s not a freebie. To pass each level, you really have to know your stuff. Our training gives you an understanding of what and why, while tying back to problems you’ll find in the real world. And there’s no better education than real-world scenarios.