Not a Good Starting Point - Sales Trainee Graybar Employee Review

2.0
Jul 21, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The benefits and stability are pros

Cons

- Salary is low - The job title is “Sales Trainee” but you will not get sales experience, you’ll work in the warehouse or at the counter for months without anyone training you then they’ll stick you at a desk where you’ll basically be a CSR. - No innovation, majority of employees have been there for 15+ years and are stuck in their ways. Bottom line is, if you want to get started in sales this is not the position to take. I found out halfway through my first year that they had had around 8 sales trainees and none of them worked out. You can find better companies that will train you, pay you more, and have a more energetic environment.

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Graybar Response
3y
Thanks for leaving a review. We strive to create a sales trainee program that sets our new sales employees up for success. That does include rotating through other areas of the business in order to learn how they function and are important and work together to form a successful distribution company and to help get firsthand product exposure. This should involve training and when there is interest and matching skills, lead to a sales role. We are sorry this was not your experience. We would like to hear more about your experience and what we could change and ask that you send us an email at reviewfeedback@graybar.com

Explore other reviews about Graybar

5.0
Jun 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Strong department leadership in current role

Cons

Many senior team members with decades of stored brain knowledge that is hard to share

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Graybar Response
1w
Thank you for sharing your experience and for your many years with Graybar. We're pleased to hear that you've benefited from strong leadership within your department. We also appreciate your feedback regarding knowledge sharing. As a company with many experienced team members, we recognize the importance of capturing and transferring institutional knowledge to support future growth and development. Thank you for your contributions and for helping make Graybar a great place to work. If you'd like to share additional feedback, please reach out to your HR Advisor.
2.0
Jul 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Employee owned so profits are shared with both employees AND employee stock holders

Cons

Graybar is trying to keep pace with the digital transformation of our industry, But, most senior leaders lack the experience needed to execute true digital change. As a result, the company has made several costly missteps. Graybar needs more outside senior talent with a proven track record of building and deploying customer‑facing digital solutions that both simplify the customer experience and reduce Graybar internal labor. Our current AI initiatives are unlikely to deliver meaningful results because our data is too inconsistent to support AI and other inititives. Without significant changes soon, Graybar’s long‑term outlook risks mirroring companies like Blockbuster, Borders Bookstores, Sears, and JCPenney—businesses that failed to adapt when customers shifted to online purchasing instead of relying solely on brick‑and‑mortar service or phone/fax to place orders.

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