Very light on Design, Heavy on Management - Senior Designer Gensler Employee Review

1.0
Feb 17, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Bonuses and talented young people. - If you are starting your career and want to learn about corporate office this might work for you. But if you are looking for awesome design projects, this Atlanta office is not ideal at this moment, maybe only for interior designers.

Cons

- The office is Shrinking instead of growing, terrible management, horrible strategic errors over and over in the last 2 years. In the last months two studios merged. Living out of old accounts, no new exciting projects coming. - New office leadership is really bad, two big mistakes made: 1- the only person with a vision for design moved to a regional level and the overlap with new leaders was minimum. 2- the two new management people are destroying this office's future. One of them had been 20 years out of Gensler managing a small residential boutique office and has no idea of how a 150 office works. The other has been forever in Gensler so it has no idea what other concepts are worth. This last person also failed a first Principal Interview (something surely was detected), and next year they placed a "coach" to help that promotion, this just shows how politics are used internally. - The people with real vision don't last, in the last year I've seen 2 Design Directors, and a Studio Director come and go, leaving either because they want to really change the system for good OR can't stand the atmosphere of focusing on profit solely. - Some studios have a toxic environment, with people that have big egos, or think they are better than what they really are, not allowing others to shine. - I'm now looking for new opportunities, very disappointed with how this office is not even a shadow of how the past leaders had it.

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Gensler Response
6y
Thank you for your feedback. We treat workplace concerns seriously and address them in accordance with our internal policies and procedures. We have multiple channels for reporting issues, including direct access to leadership and HR professionals within our firm, as well as by phone or webform. We train and encourage our team members to use the channel that they are most comfortable with. Encouraging everyone to ask questions and provide honest feedback is critical to supporting our culture and our values of integrity, trust and mutual respect.

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

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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
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.

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