Terrible management, decent pay,forget about advancement unless you know someone - Account Relationship Manager Grainger Employee Review

3.0
Mar 20, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Grainger is an old company with a lot of money. They can pay people well and they do. Great benefits. That's about it. Good place for a new college graduate because you need years to work your way anywhere in the company.

Cons

The sales dept. is one big lottery. Even though a commission system is in place, you can't really effect your accounts much and are at the mercy of what you are given. This goes for the managers as well. Some are good people, most are pretty incompetent. Opportunity for advancement is pretty poor unless you know someone higher up or really enjoy kissing butt for years on end. There are a lot of people spending the majority of their time justifying their jobs rather than doing anything productive as there are a ton of jobs at Grainger that simply don't need to exist. They really over-complicate their business and that leads to a lot of catch-22's, micromanaging, and corporate red tape. They don't value quality people, they value people that play the corporate game. This is why if you don't get lucky with your accounts or your manager, you can end up being really miserable at Grainger when overall it's a good company in terms of the financials.

Explore other reviews about Grainger

5.0
Apr 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Grainger has a great culture, that values developing people and helping them to achieve their career goals. The rewards and recognition (pay, health insurance, work/life balance and misc. benefits) offered are top tier and prove that they are a people first company.

Cons

The number of systems we use.

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.

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