About Grainger

Q. Who is Grainger?

A.Grainger is a leading distributor of products needed for maintenance, repair and operations of facilities. Grainger helps businesses and institutions save time and money by providing them the right products to keep their facilities operating safely and efficiently. Click here to learn more.

Q. Why should I consider working at Grainger?

A.Grainger is a great place to work and grow. Grainger offers employees the stability of an established industry leader, along with the chance to learn, advance and make a difference. We strive to be a place that people are attracted to. We have great benefits. But we also go many steps further to make sure our employees have the tools they need for the job and the flexibility to enjoy their time away from work.

Q. What types of values are important at Grainger?

A.Delivering on our commitments to our customers begins with our values. Grainger has identified six values that are the foundation of our culture. Click here to learn about our values.

Q. Describe Grainger's company culture.

A.Grainger's culture is rooted in delivering great service -- to customers, communities and to employees. It's no wonder we were recognized by Fortune magazine as the most admired company in our category in its "The World's Most Admired Companies" list for 2010. We like to think that's because we treat people well -- with respect, with a human touch -- inside and outside the company. At the heart of it, ours is a relationship business. By acting with integrity, working as a team and best serving the customer, we build on our 80-year heritage of service to be even stronger for tomorrow.

Q. What does Grainger do for the community?

A.Grainger strives to be a leader in every local community where it operates. The same Grainger expertise that enables customers to get the job done every day also helps us serve communities. Our areas of focus are disaster preparedness and response, and technical education.

Q. Is Grainger an environmentally friendly company?

A.Yes. Sustainability means meeting the present generation's needs without compromising the future generation's ability to meet its own needs. Grainger helps customers achieve their sustainability goals by providing products and solutions to run their facilities in an environmentally responsible manner while also helping to take costs out of their operations.

Benefits

Q. What are the employee benefits?

A.At Grainger, we take pride in offering a highly competitive benefits package. Just as our business strives to meet the changing needs of our customers, our benefits are designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Click here to learn about employee benefits.

Q. Do you have a 401K?

A.No, we have something better. Our Profit Sharing Trust (PST) shares a part of the company's profits with eligible employees every year, and requires no contribution from the employee. Grainger provides all of us the opportunity to be rewarded — through the PST — for how we contribute to the company's success.

Here's what the PST means for you: Once you become eligible to participate, you will directly share in the company's success. Your share will be placed in an investment account. For many employees, this investment account becomes the single most important part of their savings for the future.

Here's what the PST means for you: Once you become eligible to participate, you will directly share in the company's success. Your share will be placed in an investment account. For many employees, this investment account becomes the single most important part of their savings for the future.

Q. Does Grainger pay for relocation?

A.Relocation assistance is subject to management approval.

Q. Does Grainger support continuing education?

A.Yes. We offer over 350 formal classes for employees to choose from. We also regularly engage employees in development opportunities through day-to-day work experiences and mentoring/coaching relationships within the company. Leaders often place individuals in stretch assignments or on special task forces to broaden their perspective and acquire additional knowledge about areas outside of their core discipline. Grainger also provides tuition re-imbursement.

Internship Program

The majority of Grainger's internships and entry-level college positions are based at our Lake Forest, Illinois headquarters. Limited opportunities are available at our North American distribution centers and internationally. Click here for available positions.

Q. Describe Grainger's internship program.

A.Grainger's Internship Program is an opportunity to further explore career options while simultaneously gaining intensive, hands-on experience. As an intern, you will be part of a structured experience that combines learning about our business, contributing to your department, and having fun! Each intern is given a meaningful project that contributes to the Grainger business. At the end of the internship, each intern formally presents their findings to their respective leadership team. The summer schedule is filled with lunch and learns with Grainger executives, intern meetings, workshops, as well as social events. Interns rave that during their experience they had an opportunity to apply many of the things they learned in the classroom.

Q. What types of internships are available and who is eligible?

A.Grainger offers internships to college students (both undergrad and MBA) in a variety of business functions, including supply chain, enterprise processes and systems, marketing, finance, and more. Candidate requirements:

•   Enrolled in college or university as a full-time student
•   Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
•   Passion for learning about contributing to our business

Q. What is the process to land a full time role after an internship?

A.All interns go through a formal evaluation process at the end of the summer to determine eligibility to receive a full time offer.

Q. Is housing available for students accepting internship positions?

A.Housing may be provided for interns on a case-by-case basis with individual department approval.

Q. Does Grainger provide transportation to and from public transit stations?

A.Yes. We sponsor a free bus shuttle service for employees at our headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois, to help with their commute from the local train station.

Career/Advancement Opportunities

Q. Are there international opportunities?

A.Yes. Based on our business hiring needs, we do have international opportunities available. Grainger has a presence in Canada, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Trinidad, India, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and China.

Q. What types of full time positions are available for college graduates?

A.Click here to see our list of entry level opportunities for college grads.

Q. Does Grainger offer rotational programs to new hires?

A.Yes, Grainger has a Financial Development Program which we recruit for on campus.

Q. What are opportunities for advancement/career progression?

A.Grainger values its employees and is committed to their growth and development. Employees are the most valuable resource to help achieve Grainger's goals. The investment Grainger makes in development contributes to the company's competitiveness in the marketplace.

We regularly engage employees in development opportunities through day-to-day work experiences and mentoring/coaching relationships within and outside of the company. Leaders often place individuals in stretch assignments or on special task forces to broaden their perspective and acquire additional knowledge about areas outside of their core discipline. This perspective on development helps our employees not only build the skills and knowledge needed for their current roles, but enables them to develop their career at Grainger as well.

Q. How much exposure will college hires have with senior leadership?

A.College hires exposure to senior leadership will be based on their role in the organization.

Q. What type of training is offered to entry level employees?

A.At Grainger, we define Employee Development as a process to help employees identify their development needs and create development plans to address those needs, in turn enabling the company to achieve its business goals. The process focuses on providing tools and an environment where employees can strengthen their skills.

Grainger has an extensive offering of instructor-led, virtual and mobile learning solutions for employees to choose from, as well as the educational assistance program for external learning opportunities. Educational assistance covers an employee's educational costs (tuition and registration) up to $5,000 per year and 50% over that amount. In addition to the headquarters' Employee Development Center, we have 20 field-based learning centers and an online curriculum available to all employees.

Application Process

Q. Do you hire international students?

A.Grainger does recruit international students. Students looking for internship opportunities must be approved for an FI-student visa to be considered. For full time opportunities, hiring international students will be considered based on business needs.

Q. How should students apply to our positions that we are recruiting for on campus?

A.Grainger posts internship and full time opportunities to our core campus career centers near the beginning of the fall school semester. Please review your campus career center job board to determine if Grainger has an open opportunity at your campus.

Q.

When will students that are interviewed on campus be notified as to when and if they will be selected for second round of interviews?

A.Students interviewed on campus will receive communication within a few days after their interview about their candidate status and if they have been selected for a second round of interviews.

Q. What may I expect during the campus interview process?

A.During a 2nd round interview, students will interview on-site at one of our facilities with a team of hiring managers. Students will have the opportunity to tour our facility and learn about our job opportunities as well as meet with individuals to learn more about our business.

Q. What may I expect during the 2nd round interview process?

A.During a 2nd round interview, students will interview on-site at one of our facilities with a team of hiring managers. Students will have the opportunity to tour our facility and learn about our job opportunities as well as meet with individuals to learn more about our business.