Valuable exposure but poor work-life balance and pay - Anonymous employee Gensler Employee Review

1.0
Jun 11, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Working for a global company provides exposure to large-scale projects, international teams, and a broad network of expertise. This can be valuable for early career development and learning how larger organisations operate across different regions. Colleagues across teams are supportive, approachable, and collaborative. There are many skilled and talented people within the business, and working with them is an enjoyable part of the role. Some of the overseas studios demonstrate strong structure, processes, and operational clarity, which highlights how effective systems can improve efficiency and employee experience.

Cons

Compensation was not competitive relative to workload, responsibilities, and expectations. Long hours were common, and unpaid overtime often formed part of the standard way of working rather than being the exception. Workloads were consistently high, with employees frequently working beyond standard hours. This contributed to a culture where work life balance was difficult to maintain, and regular after hours communication reinforced an “always on” working environment. Flexibility was limited compared to industry norms, particularly in relation to remote working arrangements and autonomy over working patterns. Operational structure and internal processes were limited, particularly around planning, workflow management, and delivery expectations. This sometimes resulted in unclear priorities and reactive ways of working. Recognition of effort and performance felt inconsistent, with limited alignment between contribution & workload.

avatar
Gensler Response
1w
Thanks for taking the time to share feedback on your experience at Gensler. We appreciate your candor and consider all the feedback we receive. Encouraging our people to ask questions and share their perspectives is fundamental to our firm’s culture. We appreciate your feedback, but unfortunately since you did not identify your home office we are unable to notify leadership of your concerns.

Explore other reviews about Gensler

5.0
Apr 20, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good firm to work at

Cons

Nothing bad about the firm

avatar
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
May 29, 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
avatar
Gensler Response
1w
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.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All