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Harbor Freight Tools

Engaged Employer

Read before you interview - Anonymous employee Harbor Freight Tools Employee Review

1.0
Feb 17, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There will never be a shortage of work to do. HFT rarely hires enough people to complete any task so if you go to work there you will always have more to do.

Cons

If you have an interview here are some things to research, think about and questions to ask. Google the following: "Harbor Freight CEO accused by parents of 'looting' company" "national sale price settlement" "AG Number: 2016-01095" Go to the Wikipedia page, it reads like a press release. Why? Look at the older versions and you will see the same handle removing negative infomation. When you talk to a recruiter, they are going to tell you all about the growth of the company. "We are opening three stores a week." Then look for them to imply that if you come to work there that you will be moving up because of the super-fast growth. There are some examples of a select few that have done well and moved up quickly, but all occults have a few people that ascend quickly. That is part of the hype. Once it's time to talk money look for them to downplay your experience and tell you that they are a "pay for performance company." That is code for I'm going to be vague and imply that you are going to get something. Ask for a store schedule (or total hours they give) and then ask for a current store task list. Compare these two and then figure out how anyone can make all those things happen. People work off the clock; people get hurt because they don't have tools or time they need to do the job. Ask for the turnover results... don't accept a generic answer. Read the reviews on Glassdoor. Many of the four and five-star reviews look and sound fake. Research all the lawsuits that are filed against HFT. Look on LinkedIn and see how many people have worked there and then look at their tenure. Why do so many talented people leave within two years? Ask if you will have to sign an arbitration agreement.

Explore other reviews about Harbor Freight Tools

5.0
Jun 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

love it best place to work

Cons

no cons nothing to complain about

4.0
Jun 16, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, fast paced environment, good teamwork. I liked the hours, you get an education about tools, whether from your coworkers or the customers. And speaking of the customers, they were on the better side for retail. Most are down to earth and easy to converse with.

Cons

Supply chain issues, many parts would never be replenished, despite being featured, advertised, and on display. That would often lead to tensions with customers. Aggressive time constraints on tasks. Sidewalk sales, holidays, and also coincidentally inclement weather days, can be quite busy and therefore stressful. Especially if there's call outs, but if you have a good management team, you'll have good staff that will want to work for them.

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