Most frugal company in America and it is reflected in all aspects of the job - General Manager Fastenal Employee Review

1.0
Apr 18, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You will be paid a paycheck You will learn how to sell in a territory You are on your own most of the time

Cons

Pay is extremely low If you sell a giant bin stock of fasteners, guess who's putting it all together and delivering it? You, the sales guy! Guess who's making the collection calls? You! The sales guy! Guess who's cleaning the stores bathrooms? You! The sales guy! Guess who will be doing 1000 other things besides actually selling, and then asked why your numbers are so low? You of course! The sales guy! Guess who will be counting the stores inventory every month for cycle counts? You! The sales guy! It's not really a sales job. It's more like they throw a business at you and say "here, run it" You're supposed to feel honored that you work for a company with "decentralized" decision making when in reality all of the decisions are made up already and you simply are supposed to follow them.

Explore other reviews about Fastenal

5.0
Jan 20, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

This role at Fastenal has great benefits and has a lot of potential for growth.

Cons

The job responsibilities vary day to day. Lots of different requirements of the job.

3.0
Jun 9, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

They offer training programs through their internal “Fastenal School of Business.” A few good mentors to guide you should you find one and if you’re willing.

Cons

* Work/Life Balance - No official WFH opportunities. Branch employees were told to report, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. 15 days of PTO (10 for vacation and 5 for sick). You don’t earn additional PTO until the start of the year following your 5 year anniversary. * Pay - pay is inconsistent and they find reasons to change your pay by eliminating and changing titles. Pay is below industry standard and is a base + bonus program for most roles. * Boys Club - Especially in MN/WI area. Positions created or filled for cast off tenured employees to find them another spot rather than termination. Promotions based on political moves instead of merit or opportunities for growth. Positions posted for new roles internally but sometimes not shared with teams to allow for those politically motivated decisons to fill a spot. If a role is only posted for 1-week vs 2-weeks, it usually means they have a specific candidate in mind to take that role. * Cheap & Tacky - Required to travel but not all meals are covered. Welcome to stay at hotel that offers free breakfast but no per diem for lunch or dinner. Some meetings or trainings might provide lunch. When traveling for team meetings or trainings, usually required to share rooms - sometimes with other employees you’ve never met. Encouraged to book rooms using discount codes provided by customers. There is a target room rate they’d like you to hit and sometimes it means driving out of the way. They’d rather the expense hit elsewhere such as fuel and travel versus the room rate.

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