Gensler Reviews

Pros

Even though it's the largest firm in the world, the office felt small and intimate and there was great collaboration plus a good office culture.

Cons

No cons but I have to type something in this box.

Pros

Beautiful workspace! Great colleagues! Innovative and fun work environment!

Cons

None that I can think of!

Pros

I can’t really think of one.

Cons

Gensler's treatment of its employees was disheartening. The management exhibited a lack of respect for real designers and seemed more interested in their own agenda. The work environment was toxic, with minimal recognition of talent and effort. The firm's leadership failed to foster a culture that appreciated the skills and creativity of its designers. It was demoralizing to witness the dismissive attitude towards the very individuals who were responsible for creating the firm's reputation in the first place. Another concerning aspect was the firm's hiring and firing practices. Gensler had a habit of hiring a significant number of people when projects were abundant, but as soon as projects were lost, they would lay off employees without any effort to retain them. It was clear that the layoffs were a consequence of leadership's inability to secure new projects rather than a reflection of the employees' capabilities. This lack of loyalty and disregard for the livelihoods of dedicated individuals was both callous and unfair.

Pros

At Gensler, there is a wider variety of pathways and opportunities than any other organization on my resume. Eminent talent and inspiring accomplishments surround you, and people at all levels in all locations are authentically collegial and generous with their time, insight and expertise. New approaches and solutions are encouraged, and there is always a sense of enormous possibility.

Cons

The scale of the firm and the richness of its internal customs and culture can be overwhelming, and understanding your place in the organization can take a lot of time.

Pros

Excellent benefits. Understanding management team.

Cons

No cons. Great place to work

Pros

Overall good company to work for. Lots of great projects and coworkers with wealth of knowledge to share. Lots of hope and encouragement for growth. My team is flexible with work like balance/ hybrid which is required in this day of age. But it’s very team specific.

Cons

Pay. They are known for being on the lower end of the pay spectrum. Even if you’re license/ certified they still pay low/ moderate. Bonuses are average in the industry.

Pros

The people - there is an incredible diversity of expertise and everyone is open to sharing knowledge and advocating for you.

Cons

Breaking down the design/manager/tech silos.

Pros

Size, you could find friendly and talented colleagues. Good Opportunities. Very generous pay and benefits compared to other firms. Nice People in the beginning. Not very design intensive, if you are mediocre a designer, it could be a great fit. Company social is very nice. Top-down directive leadership.

Cons

It feels very unorganized in the design process. Also, The design has fallen behind the market and it is not competitive with other firm's work in my opinion. The senior leaders say they care about the well-being of their employees, but in a number of situations, I felt unsupported. The company cares about the profit the most and if you are passionate about design should avoid joining Gensler for extra $. But you are welcome to try it. I regret my decision, but I have learned from this experience so that I can share it with anyone who asks. My colleague all said the extra $ was not worth compared to how much work-life balance they had to pay.

Pros

Great clients Great projects Nice co-workers

Cons

- Every other week one of your co-workers randomly gets fired. You are literally just a number here. Doesn't matter if you are a junior designer or a senior associate and have been working at Gensler for 10+ years. You are replaceable. They hire and fire based on projects. I don't think management understands how much of an impact this makes on the rest of the team when one of your team members randomly gets fired. Instead of working together and try to solve issues, they will just fire them. - Lack of standardization when it comes to workflow. Complete mess. The organization of the whole firm is just a mess. - Don't fall into management being nice to you, because you will be next. Do yourself a favor and not come to this firm. Invest your time at a firm that invests in you.

Pros

-New clients call up with great projects everyday -Opportunity to work on global projects with offices around the world.

Cons

-Lack of self awareness by leadership, when things go bad, leaders pass blame and shout down. -Employee happiness in the Chicago office is one of the lowest in the company. Other offices (with better portfolios) ask about the politics in Chicago all the time. -Instead of self reflection by leadership, they blame junior and untitled employees, knowing they have no voice to speak up. -Appointment process does not reflect client/ team input. Closed door appointment meetings reward those who kiss the ring of the principals, not the ones who are getting the work done while those same principals are absent from their projects. A lot of criticisms in this process are taken from people who do not work with you to position their recommended appointments higher. -Lack of mentorship/ advocacy. This is new. When I first started, we used to be great at this. Newly appointed Design/ Technical Directors do not provide mentorship to junior employees at all. -Pay at junior/ mid levels is not competitive, but billing is high. It all goes to the people at the top. If you want to make what the market demands, look elsewhere. -Long hours are expected, work life balance is not respected.