McMaster-Carr reviews

The reviews are correct, depending on what you value. If you value money over your sense of humanity, this is a great place for you. If the following doesn't sound like something you'd be able to tolerate - RUN. (I'm honestly not sure how I've made it this long.) HR and management are out of touch. That should say it all, but I'll go on. Employees are quantified in every way possible down to the second. I have never experienced this level of micro-management. We are treated like robots and stripped of our humanity, but the technology and metrics they use to do so are archaic at best. They are not willing to be challenged when it comes to their metrics. Although they've never done the work themselves, management thinks whatever they've come up with is "best for the operation." Hiring practices are antiquated and elitist. They really think that a fresh 22 year graduate from an Ivy League is more qualified to manage a team than an employee with over 40 years of experience at the company. Employees do not have a say in their roles, even if they are looking to grow within the company. If an employee expresses interest in a different role, they are immediately shot down and given a list of ways they are not qualified, but everyone knows what they won't say - they're elitist and value fresh Ivy League degrees over years (in some cases decades) of experience. It's only okay for them to laterally move you across the company at their convenience; you are not allowed a say. They'll pay for your education, but they pass along taxes if it's not deemed "applicable to the business" and there's no clear list or guidance as to what they deem to be worthy. Oh, and that Ivy League degree? It's only worth something to them if you obtained it before you started working there. They will pay for your degree, but won't let you use it. Morale among employees is awful. I have never experienced a workplace where employees collectively hate every single aspect of their job except for the pay. Most people are either waiting out retirement or vesting at six years in -- if they even make it that far. The company is very disjointed from department to department. Some of my co-workers barely have to work, while others are tracked to the literal millisecond. Either way, the expectations are not clear across any of the departments and management expects employees to deal with it. No matter how well you perform, your raise will always be 2.5%. Despite perfect monthly, tri-annual, and annual reviews, I, nor anyone I have worked with, have ever gotten more than 2.5%. That's not even enough to match inflation.

-Location is somewhat out of reach if you live in Chicago, you commute will be an easy 1 hour to an hour and 15mins one way. -Toxic work environment, you always feel like there is a target on your back. -No chance of moving up in the company- progression is flatline/ linear -No transparency within any department -Unfortunately, this is a soul sucking company. They treat you like a cog in the machine. To go into more detail, McMaster is very good at keeping their inner working and processes very secret. Here are some reasons why I will NEVER suggest this company to anyone. When I first came on to work at McMaster, I was initially very impressed with the office space and the people that were working there. Smart young graduates, people with great tenure-ship and "dedication" to the company, some for over 40 years. However... after a few months things started to feel... off.. You would be working and people would be walking down the aisles and give cold stares at you. You always could hear other managers talking about other people in OPEN SPACES... and I quote, "Well, I have been a manager here for 5 years, so I automatically have priority for being able to choose to stay in this department... or who gets to go.." I am no expert, but if it's anything that I have learned it's that you just dont talk like that in an open work environment. As time went on, I tried to put these events past me, I tried to work on my daily repetivie tasks that never changed, and waited to belittled by upper management about needing to grasp a simple concept, when human error is a totally normal thing. (MCM, if you are so concerned about making errors, why dont you just fire everyone and automate you systems from the 70s? Oh, that's right, you are a slow moving company that doesn't like change and is slow to grow and innovate.) I could go on an on about this company, my advice to anyone who is remotely intrigued about this company is to ask questions about the roles. Ask questions about the management trainee program, and ask why does HR hire so many fresh Ivy league graduates with NO experience and expects them to manage. (They dont, but MCM pays them obscene amounts of money to do absolutely nothing constructive to the rest of the hive.) These young students are treated like royalty because they went to a fancy school. MCM doesn't care about anyone who didn't go to a big name school. Consider the program off limits to you, as it is basically invitation only. This company doesn't care about you or your family, as long as you have working hands and a brain, that's all the care about and they will have no problem replacing you, right before the coveted Christmas bonus is given. People who work at MCM are blinded by the money and are too sacred to speak up in fear of being let go. I left before they could give me the axe, you may be thinking I didn't work hard or didn't try. Oh, but I did. I worked harder than most people who were there for 20 years. You will never be good enough for them and they will never once say "thank you for all your hard work!", they will begrudgingly hand you the Christmas bonus and watch you carefully following that.. waiting for you to make an error. This place is not worth it. Leave or walk away, while you still have some dignity in yourself.