Pros
Decent pay Decent benefits Profit sharing bonus Good food in cafeteria Clean environment
Cons
Literally everything else. I know you have probably read some reviews and are thinking “It can’t be THAT bad really….” But I’m telling you, it is. Steer clear my friend, You will thank me later. I came into Uline in a management position. (This was not my first foray with multiple direct reports, nor working in a conservative corporate setting). The “Uline way” (you will get real sick of this phrase let me tell ya) is to treat everyone as though they are useless idiots. Just expect that you will be micromanaged, not just to death, but beyond. This culture is something out of a sick fairytale/horror story. Every action comes directly down from the top. There is no room for anything else, and as a manager you are also expected to place these decrees on your reports. This is the reason I left. I couldn’t treat my people the way I was expected to. IMHO no one grows and develops that way, nor is it good for mental health. I CAN tell you if you decide to work there, you can expect the following: 1. You will not be inspired to work smarter. In fact, it will be frowned upon because, that’s “not how we do it”. 2. You will not feel valued, respected, or recognized. Sure, they may drop off a cupcake on your desk to “celebrate” some company or department milestone, but don’t talk to your cube neighbor for too long or loud when enjoying it. 3. You will not be mentored. Things will be explained to you once, and then you are on your own to follow an absurd amount of workflows. (Which consequently… you will also edit these at least once a year) 4. You will not be challenged or excited about your work. (See above comments referencing the “everyone is a useless idiot” mentality). There are so many people working there, that the hat you have is the hat you will wear (at least for a while). It is frowned upon to even discuss moving to a different department unless you have been there an absurd amount of time. In their mind, it is better to let an employee go if they are not a good fit for the position instead of finding a better place for them. 5. Some superiors are good, but many don’t have a clue how to relate to people on a human level. Smart people who get “results”, but are useless interacting and communicating. 6. NO work/life balance. The “occasional” travel will actually be 1-2 weeks a month when it’s busy. The “sporadic” Saturdays will likely be 2-3 a month. And punch out at 5? Well… you can, but it WILL be noticed, and you WILL be informed that you don’t stay long enough. Have too much on your plate? Don’t dare think about delegating some away, you will just need to stay long enough to get it all done. And yes, you read that right… everyone punches in and out everyday. Management watches your times, so don’t dare punch in at 8:01 even in the middle of a snowstorm or catastrophic event. 7. You may be asked for input, but if it is not what upper management wants to hear, it will fall on deaf ears and go nowhere. You, peasant, cannot possibly have good input if it does not align with the agenda. 8. Expect no trust. A favorite saying is “Trust, but verify”. So basically, trust no one to do their job correctly, and don’t let anyone make a mistake. This doesn’t just go towards the physical work either. You are not trusted at all. People will read your emails, track websites you navigate to, watch for you to pickup your cell phone, and walk around to see if you are eating at your desk. They analyze your outfit to ensure it follows the insane dress code from the 1950s, track the number of times you visit the bathroom or walk to get water. They note how long you spend at another person’s cubicle, and if you go to the (very political) “lunch and learns” and while there where and with whom you sit. Your work will be proofed (hell, we even needed to have emails printed and proofed before sending them). This proofing will dilute your personality to a point that everyone sounds like a robot. You will fill out checklists, and create memos and reports that the specific purpose if not to address the situation of your department, but the health of other departments and the “issues” you surveyed. Some departments seemed to be a bit better than mine, but maybe they just drank more of the kool-aid. Do yourself a favor, and just don’t do it. The money is nice, but not that nice. Oh, and as an added bonus, if you work there and decide to quit, be warned. “Uline” follows you around like a bad smell. While interviewing for new positions it came up ( at more than one company) that they were concerned if I would be a good fit culturally. They saw Uline on my resume and had either A. worked with the company previously or B. hired someone from there before, and assumed that everyone would interact in a similar manner as described in my rant above. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving.