People First.. in theory - Anonymous employee Gensler Employee Review

2.0
4 June 2024
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Salaries and bonuses paid on time. Was somewhat flexible on hybrid working but I don't think that is the case anymore.

Cons

It doesn't matter whether you have worked here for 4 years or 14 - if you "cross" the wrong people, you will be dropped faster than you can say 'People First'. Despite this being one of their mantras, I hardly saw it in practice in the time I spent there. Sr. Mgmt preaches 'transparency' but practices quite the opposite, all behind a veneer of 'support' and 'consideration'. The 'we are a family' trope only applies when they need something from employees. It does not reciprocate when the tables are turned. For support functions, recognition/appreciation is scarce. My team was consistently left out of recognition, even though we were an integral part of the collaborations in question. Frustration and stress levels are so high because there is no work-life balance - unfortunately, this is primarily due to 'managing egos' and petty politics. The work itself is manageable and interesting to an extent, some people make it unnecessarily cumbersome to deal with.

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Gensler Response
2y
Thanks for providing feedback on your experience at Gensler. We appreciate our alumni and value their perspectives.

Explore other reviews about Gensler

5.0
20 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good firm to work at

Cons

Nothing bad about the firm

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Gensler Response
1mo
Thanks for providing feedback on your experience at Gensler. We value our interns and love to hear their perspectives. We are thrilled and 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.

5
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Gensler Response
2w
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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