McMaster-Carr reviews

2.8

29% would recommend to a friend

(1,362 total reviews)

Jay Delaney

30% approve of CEO

45% positive business outlook

McMaster-Carr has an employee rating of 2.8 out of 5 stars, based on 1,362 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The McMaster-Carr employee rating is 24% below average for employers within the Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

1K reviews
1.0
Mar 30, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The money and benefits feel like a pro, until you realize that many roles here expect people (particularly management) to regularly work 50 and 60+ hour weeks.

Cons

In my experience, most things about this company were untrustworthy, and the culture is abhorrent. Unless you crave an evil work environment and like being misled, don't work here. Micromanagement, constantly changing directions, lack of clear policy, rapid turnover, generally rude and sometimes inappropriate communication, and a culture of false urgency are things you can look forward to here. Starting from how the recruiters described the opportunity -- there isn't actually much "work-life balance" here. They use that term to encompass the fact that they pay what appears to be a high salary and cover benefits. However, given the micromanagement, frequently changing direction, and high turnover, employees (and especially management) are often volunTOLD to work extra hours. In my experience, after considering the many 60+ hour weeks I worked, the pay was not actually competitive because I was basically working 1.5 jobs and spending 2-3 extra hours commuting. Many leaders feel entitled to their employees' free time because of the high salaries. Management here has very limited leadership expertise as it's a family company in which the final say goes with the owners, and the majority of company leadership have not had meaningful work experiences outside of McMaster-Carr. Many were hired as undergraduates or very early in their careers, so they think the inappropriate and untrustworthy behavior is normal--even aspirational in some cases. If you try to change it, you may find yourself on the chopping block next. The longer you stay here, the harder it is to find a new job because the responsibilities are constantly changing, and individuals are often moved to new roles and teams.

1.0
Mar 29, 2025

Don't do it

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pay was good for the number of hours worked. Benefits were also good, and the company covers 100 percent of insurance premiums. Some of the employees and managers are--or were--genuinely interesting human beings.

Cons

A lot of people were spiritually crushed working there. The company culture and tools are also so specific that after a while you feel like you don't have much to offer another employer. The culture is cold and based on fear and control. No one feels like they have control over anything. This includes managers. Because each successive level of management is micromanaged and tamped down by the levels above them, the result is an overall toxic organizational culture. This is not the place to learn the skills that can get you to your next role. If you don't know Excel well, you'll pick up Excel skills. Otherwise, the tools and systems used at this company aren't widely used elsewhere. You're also unlikely to learn solid, healthy management skills here unless you take it upon yourself to be different. Even if you that, it won't help your direct reports because of the system you're working in.

Viewing 154 - 156 of 1,362 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,400 McMaster-Carr reviews submitted anonymously by McMaster-Carr employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if McMaster-Carr is right for you.