W.W. Grainger Reviews

Pros

Ethically run.
Long history of serving communities.
Recognizes employee's service anniversary dates.

Cons

You have to do your own PR campaign in order to get noticed. Climate is gossipy which creates problems if you are trying to move from one department to another. It's all about who you know not what you can or have accomplished.

Advice to Senior Management

Gut the HR Department, starting at the top. Some of the most mismanged groups I have ever seen, run by people who have been in their jobs way too long to know what's new in the industry and what motivates employees to do their best. Huge disconnect.

Pros

Great benefits, management doesnt look down on you.

Cons

information isnt shared with all of the teams equally..

Pros

Profit Sharing, People, and Strong Stable Company. This may not be enough if the Sales Staff continues to lose more money while selling 25% more.

Cons

Too many "hidden" announcements after the fact. Too much left on the plate for the Sales Associate to hold up the organization. Sales Staff the only department in the company to have flexible and UNFAIR financial burdens. Sales Staff being cheated out of commissions/bonuses year over year. Compensation plan changes now every 6 months. Prices are getting a bit too high for the "savvy"customer.

Advice to Senior Management

Company strength used to be honesty and integrity; what is going on? So you really expect the Sales Staff to increase their sales by 30%? And, it could be more when you have national agreements. 44% expected sales growth. REALLY???

Pros

Fiscally sound company -
Respected with rich history
Solid base salary
Excellent services and solutions for MRO accounts
Great branch network

Cons

Middle Management is a breeding ground for incompetency and dullness - they are given complete autonomy on multi million dollar districts.
Sales management with zero inter-personal communication skills? How does this happen?
Comp plan changes with the wind
Dead weight DSM's "riding along" with you creating problems instead of solving them.
44% goals over prior!!!! Really?
No identity - everything is smoke and mirrors
Constant feeling you're ripping off customers with price gouging
Too many initiatives are short circuited and thrown away. Feels like you're being pulled in 50 different directions at once.

Advice to Senior Management

Monitor your DSM role - 85% percent of these bozos should be selling cheap carpets and sunglasses off the highway. You're losing talent at a staggering rate - make your middle management submit to physiological testing. You'll be surprised.

Find a niche, evolve and adapt to the changing industry...or it's big, big trouble

Pros

Grainger pays well and has good benefits. Many associates have been there a while because they enjoy what they do and feel they contribute to the team.

Cons

Some middle management is incompetent and don't deserve the positions they are in. Seems the company is more concerned with meeting their diversity goal then selecting the best person for the job.

Advice to Senior Management

Hire the best person for the job instead of the best diversity candidate. If the best is a diversity candidate, then so be it, but this does not appear to be the case.

Pros

Generously compensated as compared to the industry in general. Keep your head down, don't make waves, and ou're fine in this company

Cons

Limited advancement opportunity unless you are in sales or located close to corporate. This is an organization that is in constant transition, almost as if they are trying to find their identity.

Advice to Senior Management

Recognize the contributions of the people within your location, develop from within. Stop stalling the development of your top talent with "you're not ready"

Pros

Relevant items to sell.
Company car.

Cons

Hours are way too long. Pay is not fair for whats expected. Management is constantly putting their foot in mouth. No room for growth in any area other than lake forest.

Advice to Senior Management

REVAMP REVAMP REVAMP

Pros

in the top 100 company to work for.
They will work with you in career advancements, so they help you in finding a position you are interested. Even if you are just in an entry level position

Cons

they are a distributor of many products, don't really sell many products of their own

Advice to Senior Management

yes

Pros

Grainger has the opportunity to really teach you about the skills needed in the workforce and how to fine tune them. They have great benefits and the salaries are resonable.

Cons

Grainger is very micro-managed. They monitor and watch every move you make and many of the tasks are mundane and unessacary. Plus it is harder to move up than they portray.

Advice to Senior Management

Concentrate less on the small tasks that take up too much time. Understand that some people simply have different ways to do things and as long as they are getting the job done properly it shouldn't matter about the little steps they took.

Pros

The benefits were fine and the home office was beautiful. Pay was good. On-site cafeteria made grabbing lunch much simpler when you're busy.

Cons

The managers had their favorites and boosted them up while everyone else was left without any support or ability to add value. It is rare to find managers as inept as you'll find at Grainger, and they will take credit for your work whenever possible.

Advice to Senior Management

Examine your high turnover rate. If you look closer, you'll find that it's driven by your worthless managers that do nothing but infuriate the employees.