Former general manager - General Manager Fastenal Employee Review

1.0
May 11, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great place to learn right out of college Took what I learned and went into pharmaceutical sales

Cons

7-5, then more Really low pay Understaffed Way to many goals (Vending, Web Actives, Government Account, PPS, Actives, Margin, Freight, Sales, Past Dues, New Accounts, 3PL, Industrial Services, Vendor Appointments, Safety Specialists, Metalcutting Specialists, Vending Specialists) - Can't we just sell. The Christmas bonus really is a box of candy. Been that was all 7 years I was there. Small territories = hard to grow Understaffed again... Price guidance was reason I left. They installed prices to customers that were 3-4 times more expensive than Fastenal's competitors. I had a ton of pissed customers complaining about price, and there was nothing I could do about it. Happy I'm gone.

Explore other reviews about Fastenal

5.0
Apr 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good job to have during college. People are easy going and easy to get along with. Overall really good experience

Cons

Gets repetitive after a while

3.0
Jun 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of responsibility. Decentralized company, which can work in your favor.

Cons

Pay is low based on competitors. Politics, lots of it. Cost-centers everywhere. Everyone has to make money off the branches: the hub, NA, regions, support, etc. Being a GM is probably one of the hardest jobs. Your job on the lean team is to support NA and the branch. It is hard to fully support both at the same time. It is a balancing act that frequently is blamed on you. Frequently, your coworkers just want to put their name on your work and create problems because of their egos.

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