Good first job, but the thrill goes quickly. - Territory Sale Representative Grainger Employee Review

4.0
Sep 17, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Great training, this is a good first job to set you up for something cooler down the line. I got bored and left for bigger things near 2 years. - Direct managers are very supportive. - Good compensation for entry-level, assuming you're making your numbers. But you'll be gone within a few months if you don't. - Lots of tools and tech, vendor support. - No lack of available product knowledge. - Very positive, collaborative, encouraging peer environment.

Cons

- Way too much emphasis on a clunky, generally atrocious CRM. - Sharp turn away from building and nurturing strong employees towards a more typical churn and burn model - depending on your manager, the experience can still be very good though. - Market data on territories is trash, which can be confusing for new hires and results in frequent goal readjustments, which many find alarming and shakes confidence. - Stretch assignments, creativity, and development towards different roles is given lip service, but unique ideas tend to be ignored in favor of maintaining the status quo. - Generally not much room to promote locally outside Lake Forest/Chicago. - Sales can at times feel very disconnected from your efforts due to seasonal market forces having such a significant impact on MRO, and the massive shift towards eCommerce.

Explore other reviews about Grainger

5.0
Jun 25, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Schedules were very flexible! Leadership cared

Cons

It was really exhausting, hot work in the warehouse

4.0
Jun 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits are decent and reasonably priced. They offer a 401k match, BCBS insurance, FSA, HSA, dental, vision, life insurance, and accidental D&D coverage. They also do a 3‑to‑1 match for donations to non‑religious 501(c) organizations. There’s a big emphasis on volunteering, with plenty of opportunities to get involved. The building itself is beautiful, with a free on‑site gym, a coffee shop, real trees in the atrium, a waterfall, and a large cafeteria (though the food can vary). They’re also flexible about which days you come on‑site, depending on the team’s schedule. If I needed to switch a Monday for a Thursday, it was never an issue. My manager was also supportive of remote work on days when the weather made commuting difficult.

Cons

Admins do not get an annual bonus. They're really strict on Overtime, really weird about worrying about mini costs. Like they'll spend 50k on a week-long training but freak out if people want to rent a car while being in town. Can't buy lunch for this 3 hour meeting to cut costs, but we'll drop 10k on this other thing. It's also so unfair that some people get to work remotely and others are forced to come in 3 times a week, for the exact same roles. Every meeting is basically online, so it's just silly and a power trip.

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