United Rentals reviews

4.1

85% would recommend to a friend

(2,443 total reviews)
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Matthew Flannery

93% approve of CEO

79% positive business outlook

United Rentals has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 2,443 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The United Rentals employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews
1.0
Jul 29, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

If you are an out-going person and like working with equipment and the people who use them, you will gain alot of contacts working here. If you are blessed with a managment team that gives you direction and allows you to get involved with every aspect of operations, as I have, you will gain knowledge and skills that will carry you through more possibilties that you can imagine. The best part is if you are a mediocre worker, and are employed there just for a paycheck, you only have to show up on time and do the minimum to keep you job... until you die or get let go for reasons that have nothing to do with you. Oh, and if you are let go, down expect ANY NOTICE.

Cons

You will learn how to get around micro-management so that you can actually help the customer and do the job that keeps the doors open. You will have to justify every minute you are on the clock which will slow down your productivity. You will be asked to get something done immediatley and then be bogged down in red tape. You will have to work with people who create an un-safe work environment, until, after months, they are fired. You will have to deal with your daily priorities being changed every fifteen minutes. You will have to deal with management's daily attitude swings. You not be able to trust anyone..expecially human resources to side with you in any conflict. If you start at a bottom position, you will have to be taught "on the Job" and take the consequences for inefficiency or bad desicions. You will only be praised during store meetings. You will have to eat alot of corporate propaganda, or what I call BS. No matter what anyone says, you will only be making a wage, pay for your own retirement, (if you are lucky), and health insurance. No other incentives will actually come through for you. The best part you can look forward to is deteriorating health due to MAJOR daily stress. So, when the day comes you have worked four hours and you feel it was like ten hours....it's time to move on.

1.0
Jul 14, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The rental industry in general is highly competitive. If you enjoy competition you'll love this industry. Uniteds' benefits generally speaking were in line with other competitors. Massive and never ending turnover even when times were good allowed for advancement.

Cons

The three worst things you can do in this company. 1) Have an original idea 2) disagree with anyone in a position above you no matter how much thought, logic or common sense went into the disagreement. 3) Guaranteed corporate suicide would be to disagree with anyone above you and be right. Overall this company has performed when times are good and failed beyond belief when times are not. Those that ventured outside Uniteds conventions when times were bad and succeeded were done away with not copied. Most of the damage being done today to united is by the incredible lack of leadership at the mid level by people so afraid and so far over their heads they refuse to make decisions. The rest is done by talented former employees that went to competitors that allowed them to put good ideas into action. Simply put, getting promoted at United means you don't ever ever listen to anyone below you. There were people in position to know that waved red flags all over the place back in early 2006 predicting the timing and degree of this turndown right to the quarter that it happened and supported it with facts that were demoted and eventually dismissed because of it. I advise any talented individual considering employment here to look to Uniteds competition instead, in the short run you will have much less fustration and in the long run more happiness and opportunity.

3.0
Jul 12, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible job, enjoy working in construction industry.

Cons

Micro management, discourage continuing education, etc.

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Glassdoor has 2,547 United Rentals reviews submitted anonymously by United Rentals employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if United Rentals is right for you.