Fastenal is a frugal and -subsequently- very cheap employer to work for. - Anonymous employee Fastenal Employee Review

2.0
Mar 22, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The biggest pro -at least in my experience- was that the store I was at DID adhere to a 45 hour work week. None of this "we're here 'til the job is done" stuff, because the job (as most jobs are) is never done. I also did enjoy the few co-workers I had directly working with me.

Cons

They burn you out real quick. Their commission structure is absolutely atrocious. The only way you can move up to a corporate position is by becoming a RM or moving to Winona, MN. Their employment strategy is to hire right out of college because you need a job and when you're fresh out, you're dumb enough to work for peanuts and not burned out from anywhere (probably.) They literally have 1,000,000 different part numbers in their system, so get used to customers knowing far more about every product they're looking for than you do (thus, sales are hard to make.) Also, you'll never memorize their products, so it's a difficult position to get really good at, except the nuts and bolts part.

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5.0
Jun 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Management is good Hours are negotiable Time off is available Opportunities to move up always available

Cons

No commissions for part time

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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