Not bad, but not great - Receiving Lead (Full TIme) Fastenal Employee Review

3.0
14 Dec 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-They will hire just about anyone, so it's a good place to gain work experience, especially for the college student. -I started at $10/hr, which probably sucks in many parts of the country, but where I live, the cost of living is pretty low. Not bad starting pay for a part time gig. -A lot of people complain about the lack of training. This is how you weed out the ones who are lazy and don't want to think. I ask questions all the time, and I've never had someone refuse to help me out. The knowledge and help is there, you just have to ask people (and know who to ask). -It's easy to move up if you're somewhat intelligent, punctual, and a hard worker. There are so many lazy, unorganized people that it's easy to stand out.

Cons

-Fastenal is INFESTED with "Corporate Culture", so much to the point that it impedes the company's ability to actually get work done. I feel sorry for the managers...they spend the majority of their time (well, maybe "waste" is a better word) reading memos, emailing, doing reports...all so some manager higher up the ladder can pretend that they know what's going on in every department and warehouse. My manager has upwards of 150 emails a day. That is completely unnecessary. -They refuse to hire enough workers to get the job done, and then go and place unrealistic expectations on the few employees they have. Sad, because the location I work at is incredibly far behind. Hiring more workers costs money up front, but it's better than losing millions (yes, millions) on product that customers order and never receive. That's a good way to lose important customers. -High turnover (that's why it's so easy to move up...positions are always opening up).

Explore other reviews about Fastenal

5.0
6 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

For such a large company, they move fast. If you demonstrate exceptional talent, it is rewarded much more quickly than other companies. Good decision-making gets a lot of attention.

Cons

Low starting pay makes it so that there are not a lot of applicants for entry level positions. Bad employee behavior is tolerated because it's hard to backfill the position.

1.0
6 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I wish if there were anything worth mentioning.

Cons

My contract was changed three times in the span of three months. This is the most disorganized company I have ever worked for. As an employee, you are the least of their concerns expect to be asked to stay late, come in early, and take on tasks outside your job description. Due to chronic understaffing, you're pressured into doing extra work, and if you refuse, they will find a way to let you go.

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