Trust the Reviews - Business Operations Specialist McMaster-Carr Employee Review

They hire managers straight out of college and refuse to promote from within, so the position you hire into is where you stay unless they decide to move you laterally. Many employees have asked HR and branch managers if this will ever change and they've emphatically stated it won't. That's maddening considering they invest so much money into their employees' salaries and they already know the business, company pays your tuition if you choose to obtain a degree, yet you have to leave in order to put it to use or grow professionally/personally. HR doesn’t operate independently. If you speak up in a HR forum, your name is attached to the comment when it’s reported out when it should be kept confidential. Several ex-coworkers suddenly started underperforming after going to HR about concerns/complaints. The majority of your time off for the following year must be submitted at the end of the current year! They've been doing this for decades. How is that creating a good work/life balance? They even somehow managed to botch partial telecommuting for eligible employees when they at first advertised greater flexibility and work/life balance. Systems are EXTREMELY outdated. Many are from the 80s and there are always workarounds because they try to patch the problems rather than spend the capital to fix them sooner rather than taking several years. They use Excel for many processes rather than investing in professional forecasting software. This frustration is shared by their Tech Support department. Managers are extremely passive-aggressive and each department gets a new supervisor 2-3 times/year because the fresh-from-college managers often quit once they realize the mistake they've made. They walk around with a red folder that typically indicates an employee is in trouble or receiving a coaching session to intimidate the workforce. Reviews are one-sided and you’re wrong if you make a decision that doesn’t align with the manager even though you often operate in the grey area. Employees work to pay their bills and make it to the yearly CPS, that's it. The work is mind-numbing and the silent work environment is soul-crushing. They encourage employees to notify the company of co-workers mistakes, which likely adds to that toxic work environment. Most employees, and managers, walk the halls with their heads in their phones and avoid making eye contact with each other. Branch management doesn't allow you to personalize your desk outside of 2 photos. If you don't believe the reviews, stand in the main office when you interview and imagine working in the environment 40 hrs/week. Stay for the pay, leave if you want a career or some sort of personal fulfillment or professional development.