W.W. Grainger is a leader in industrial goods and services industry, headquartered just outside of the city in Lake Forest, IL. The Fortune 500 Company provides its two million customers with over a million products ranging from raw materials to power tools (www.grainger.com). Customers can place orders online, through the Grainger catalog or in one of their various locations throughout the country. Gen Y accounts for roughly 20% of the total workforce at the company’s headquarters.

Young professionals are eager to get their start with Grainger because of its friendly and welcoming office culture. The office environment is flexible and employees appreciate the collaborative nature of the company. Everyone is working towards the common goal of providing customers with economical solutions for their businesses.

With a great deal of their business being online, young professionals are provided with work laptops and cell phones to always be connected and in the know. This also feed their need for using technology in the workplace. 

One of the most impressive features about Grainger is its commitment to the community. Grainger is the national founding sponsor of the American Red Cross “Ready When the Time Comes Program” (www.Grainger.com). This initiative allows Grainger employees to become involved with the community and coordinate volunteer teams with businesses and recruit emergency response volunteers. Within the Grainger group, there are over 1000 employees trained as emergency response volunteers. Grainger also gives back to the community through monetary donations to various education programs. Gen Y employees who work at Grainger can be sure that they will have plenty of opportunities to give back to the community.

It is easy to understand what makes Grainger is such a Gen Y-friendly employer. From its comfortable work environment, use of technology and dedication to service, Grainger strives to make its Generation Y employees feel like an integral part of its company.