Typical "YES MAN" Corp - Regional Employee Fastenal Employee Review

3.0
Jul 15, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You can take it as an entry level job at $9 to $10 for a max of 30 hours (most districts) and learn a lot about day to day business. You may get stuck with a boss who doesn't want to delegate responsibilities or teach you things. If this is the case speak up and demand to learn more. Don't just be a part-timer picking orders and putting stock away. Learn something so you can move forward in this company or another one. Branches are like small teams, depending on how you get along with people and how your GM is it can be great or it can be horrible. Corporate says full-time is 50 hours, but working with a reasonable GM you can get out in 40 under the radar.

Cons

The part-timers get stuck doing all the grunt work, which can be really boring at some branches (ie putting patch on 500 screws or more everyday). The full-time jobs have low salaries compared to the industry average and you are expected to work 50 hours for it. The GM and DM are also struggling to keep costs low and keep their paychecks high so there is a lot of skimping at a branch level and sharking for low pay and high hours in this company. As outside sales or higher you'll always get reemed out in emails to do better and better and its never good enough. Its kind of a roll of the dice, but you can end up as OS or GM at a high sales branch or a low sales one. It depends on what opens and how fast you want to move up. My advice is don't get stuck in a low sales branch, you're expected to grow the business and if you cannot you will make little to no commission. With high corporate restrictions on pricing its pretty impossible to grow the business without slowly weeding your way in for years and years. Go somewhere that is somewhat established, but not saturated. You need room to grow.

Explore other reviews about Fastenal

5.0
Apr 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good job to have during college. People are easy going and easy to get along with. Overall really good experience

Cons

Gets repetitive after a while

4.0
Jul 9, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great company culture, love the investment they put in for career advancement. Great people to work with, CEO is amazing but he's stepping down this month. Benefits are good. Decentralized organization so your ideas and solutions actually get listened to and implemented. Feel like I'm actually making a difference in the company.

Cons

Pay is lower than the industry average for most departments and they don't keep up with the cost of living, don't do bonuses (unless you're in sales) or pay raises. You have to ask to get one and most times they say no. Very male dominant at the branches and in sales, but many women in corporate leadership. Don't have any DEI initiatives. Not flexible on relocation for internal management roles, have to be at corporate HQ in Winona, MN.

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