Leaders lack leadership qualities - Financial Shared Services Supervisor Grainger Employee Review

2.0
Apr 9, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

PST is great. It's the best in the industry. Where else can you get up to 20% of your salary (after being fully vested at 7 years; progressive growth in percent contribution) given to you annually for your retirement? Other benefits are comparable with the industry.

Cons

I've had the opportunity to work in several functional areas around the company over the 6+ years I've been there and although each department had its own culture, one thing remained the same...big corporate politics ruled. If you enjoy having meetings to discuss the next meeting, and progress moves slower than snails, then you may like it here. Nothing moves fast here and it's likely because middle management doesn't have a clue. (Managers up to Directors) I've never worked for an organization as siloed as Grainger. Getting anything done requires talking to 7 or more people. Management is consistently turning over - likely the reason why they don't know anything - and people are promoted based on popularity, not fully on performance. In Supply Chain, they've had at least 5 Directors in the last for years. Where's the continuity? It's hard to follow a vision when there isn't one. In Product Management, arrogance rules. Everyone keeps info to themselves in hopes of being the one to have the "grand idea." Look out for yourself there because your DPP won't support you. In Credit/Collections, putting unqualified people in manager roles is the true theme there. They don't understand the concept of "it's a good thing to communicate with your direct staff of supervisors and indirect reports." Overall, the senior leaders (VP level and above) seem to get it. It's their direct staff who can't carry out the basic needs of managing their functional areas. Grainger offers a lot of job opportunities, but be forewarned, these jobs are very typically focused on one or two functions and are not wholistic like you may expect from a smaller company.

Explore other reviews about Grainger

5.0
Jun 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pays well Hours are flexible if needed Acknowledgement Happy employees

Cons

Extreme time management Lack of ability to take time off

4.0
Jun 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits are decent and reasonably priced. They offer a 401k match, BCBS insurance, FSA, HSA, dental, vision, life insurance, and accidental D&D coverage. They also do a 3‑to‑1 match for donations to non‑religious 501(c) organizations. There’s a big emphasis on volunteering, with plenty of opportunities to get involved. The building itself is beautiful, with a free on‑site gym, a coffee shop, real trees in the atrium, a waterfall, and a large cafeteria (though the food can vary). They’re also flexible about which days you come on‑site, depending on the team’s schedule. If I needed to switch a Monday for a Thursday, it was never an issue. My manager was also supportive of remote work on days when the weather made commuting difficult.

Cons

Admins do not get an annual bonus. They're really strict on Overtime, really weird about worrying about mini costs. Like they'll spend 50k on a week-long training but freak out if people want to rent a car while being in town. Can't buy lunch for this 3 hour meeting to cut costs, but we'll drop 10k on this other thing. It's also so unfair that some people get to work remotely and others are forced to come in 3 times a week, for the exact same roles. Every meeting is basically online, so it's just silly and a power trip.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All