Grainger reviews

4.0

80% would recommend to a friend

(4,986 total reviews)
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DG Macpherson

87% approve of CEO

79% positive business outlook

Grainger has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 4,986 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Grainger employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.4 stars).

Reviews by job title

5K reviews
2.0
Jun 18, 2013

Outside Seller (Account Manager)

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent onboarding (training), the structure is a great place for new sellers to get their start, some good managers and their brand recognition will typically get you a seat at the table.

Cons

While you might have a seat at the table, it's hard to close the sale due to their greedy pricing practices (you'll never have line of sight to the true cost of an item). Also, while it's a good place to start your career it's not a good place for advancement, unless you're willing to kiss some major A**. It's all about the "in crowd" and being a part of the club. I've been both a cool kid and a black sheep ... and neither side is easy. The goal structure and compensation plan make me shake my head. I worked harder every year (which was explained by management as our "new normal" so we should "get used to it") but each year my goals increased to unattainable levels and the last two years my income declined. Management is hit or miss. If you're lucky enough to have a manager with leadership ability, then you're going to enjoy going to work. If you're unlucky enough to have a manager who runs their people like a dictator (and there are plenty of those) then you're out of luck. While I was never placed on one they use the PIP (performance improvement plan) as a punishment and fast track to the exit. I've also seen a trend of eliminating older, highly skilled, sellers and replacing them with kids fresh out of college. Everyone is replaceable, that was my last manager's favorite saying. Since I left ... all but one of his sellers has left too. When an entire team turns over in less than a year I have to wonder why upper management isn't taking a look at their middle managers?

5.0
Jun 18, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The people there are wonderful. Everyone is a team player. benefits are great.

Cons

no bonuses or negotionable merit increases

1.0
Jun 16, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Profit Sharing and great team members

Cons

Militant Micro-Management styles. Grainger also changed your goals every 6 months. If happen to meet or exceed your goals during one six month cycle, expect big increases during the next 6 month sales cycle. Management is always trying to advance upwards by cutting each other throats. Mgmt will put a knife in other managers backs or their own employees. Ironically, sales management jobs are "dead end" jobs. With this in mind, there is no reason to advance in this company thus making it twice as bad.

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