An inspiring workspace & great place for growth for designers... - Designer Gensler Employee Review

4.0
13 Mar 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It's inspiring to work at a company that is doing such great design work across the globe. Gensler has a vibrant company culture evident the day I interviewed. In San Francisco, the artwork on the walls rotates every 3 months, as well as during the holidays there is a wonderful children's holiday party where volunteers re-imagined the workspace into scenes from Alice & Wonderland this last December. Many employees take part in volunteering in the community. In addition, there are a lot of opportunities for career growth, and I find I have the space at Gensler to take on projects that stretch my skill-sets. If you love being in an environment that is centered around Design Thinking, this is the place to be. Colleagues are professional and helpful, and I've found a good work-life balance here.

Cons

Compensation for non-architects (UX specialists, software engineers, designers) working in firm-wide operations has not kept pace with the bay area salary market. Gensler is also going through the normal growing pains when a company grows in both #of offices & #of employees in a relatively short period of time.

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
2w
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.

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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