If you work here as a generalist, you gain no transferable skills outside of the company. Management moves you from one department to another with a weekend’s notice. It keeps things fresh, but it also makes it difficult to obtain a ‘highly successful’ rating for your annual merit increase if you’re constantly learning the ropes of a new department.
They control your workday by scheduling when you can take your breaks and your lunch. Your schedule can change the day of, so if you want to schedule a quick appointment in town on your 45 minute unpaid lunch, forget about it.
The company boasts an inclusive environment but is just as bureaucratic as any large company. Management holds ‘listening sessions’ to hear how employees are feeling. They validate concerns in the session and never take action on what they say they will.
The company is making employees return to the office 3 times per week with 3 months notice. The days are assigned. My kids are grown enough to care for themselves, but several of my coworkers are scrambling to find before and after school care at their preferred daycare which fills up a full year in advance. Any concerns about going to the office have been snuffed because they do not care about the individual, only the company. Returning to the office really changed my perspective on the company. I read articles about other large corporations bringing employees back, and I used to think my company would never do that because everyone is happier working from home. Silly of me to think. I will stick around until my kids no longer use their college tuition benefit, but they have lost what would have been a lifetime employee.
They always have cameras on during Zoom meetings. My friends at other companies told me this was weird, as none of their employers use cameras much. I didn’t know any different until they said something.
The golden days of working for McMaster-Carr have come to an end. Everything is operationalized to the point where you are just a cog in their 100+ year old machine. Best of luck to those just joining. I hope you can change things for the better during your time here.
