Great resources but with the shortcomings of a corporate environment - Anonymous employee Gensler Employee Review

2.0
27 Jun 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Lots of resources at your disposal - Great digital technology department - Social events - Workload is reasonable at times (compared to other firms in NY, where all you hear is 60+ hour workweeks)

Cons

- (Depends on your studio) Management can be toxic and tends to minimize issues or be dismissive. - You must be in the office 4 days a week for the 'culture'. - As is a corporate firm with high-paying clients, a lot of people subscribe to white supremacy workplace culture. If you don't know what that means, google it - there are many articles and academic resources explaining it. - Highly competitive workplace. See below. - A lot of 'initiatives'/'liaison opportunities'/'leader of x'/'champion of y' that mask as unpaid labor. You want people to go above their responsibilities? Pay them. - (Again, this depends on your studio) Designs can be bland & uninspired. Depending on your team, you may also have not much of a say in terms of design. - Despite what they say, it is very hard to move around inside the firm. - When things hit the fan (pandemic, recession, market crash), get ready for layoffs. - No sick days, everything is in one PTO bucket. We are in 2023. - Pay is subpar.

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Gensler Response
2y
Thanks for the feedback. We treat workplace concerns seriously and address them in accordance with our internal policies and procedures. We have multiple channels for reporting issues and we train and encourage our team members to use them. Encouraging everyone to ask questions and provide honest feedback is critical to supporting our culture and our values of integrity, trust and mutual respect. We appreciate your feedback and will share your comments with the firm’s leadership.

Explore other reviews about Gensler

5.0
3 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good work-life balance and flexible scheduling. Supportive team environment with opportunities to learn new technologies. Management is generally approachable and benefits are competitive.

Cons

Internal processes can be slow and bureaucratic at times. Career advancement opportunities are limited without clear timelines. Communication between departments could be improved significantly.

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Gensler Response
18h
Thanks so much for the feedback. We love to hear from our people. You and your colleagues are the foundation of our success. We are delighted to see your 5-star rating!
1.0
29 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Nice office, lots of “rah rah Gensler” events with food & booze, some nice people

Cons

Where do I start…..some studios are TOXIC. Favoritism permeates every aspect of working here. It’s nauseating. There is zero loyalty, zero recognition for hard work (yeah you get a bonus but sometimes a kind word is needed). Oh-and never ever express an opinion that may be in opposition to “leadership’s”. Your private life, beliefs, politics and other personal things are fair game for letting you go. I’ve seen it happen-fired because someone expresses in a private conversation that one has ethical concerns regarding projects that are in the office (but in another studio/office) will get you fired. They will make up some bs about “work performance”, yet no conversation ever with anyone about “needing improvement “. Out of left field. Bye bye. Management tells leadership that they’d already “warned” the person-completely untrue. Hear later it was likely due to having concerns about a client/project. Lesson learned-shut up, work 12 hrs a day and be happy with the scraps you’re thrown. Also-egos galore! Unwillingness to take accountability for mistakes.

3
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Gensler Response
18h
Thanks for the feedback. We treat workplace concerns seriously and address them in accordance with our internal policies and procedures. We have multiple channels for reporting issues and we train and encourage our team members to use them. Encouraging everyone to ask questions and provide honest feedback is critical to supporting our culture and our values of integrity, trust and mutual respect. We appreciate your feedback and will share your comments with the firm’s leadership.
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