Great company, Horrible managers! - International Account Manager Grainger Employee Review

3.0
7 May 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good benefits overall, stable organization, profit sharing, smart organization.

Cons

Management skill level is painfully inconsistent. Career advancement (or lack thereof) is often determined by ones manager as opposed to an employee's ability or work ethic. Many employee talents are never realized by the company because manager's have the ability to hold employee's back. Favoritism seems to be given to white male employees. Although recent diversity efforts have been launched, the historic culture is impossible to change if the same people are in positions of authority. Managers in International tend to be intimidated by intelligence and ability and seem to work to sabotage employee efforts. Many Baby boomers are shackled by years of experience. If these managers are not willing to adapt to change, they need to move on and make way for innovative risk takers! There have been recent changes but radical efforts need to be made to rid Grainger of it's "Good ole Boy" mentality.

Explore other reviews about Grainger

5.0
18 Jun 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
6 Jun 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.

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