Gensler reviews

3.7

67% would recommend to a friend

(2,471 total reviews)
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Elizabeth Brink, Jordan Goldstein, Andy Cohen, and Diane Hoskins

80% approve of CEO

56% positive business outlook

Gensler has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 2,471 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Gensler employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Servicios de construcción, reparación y mantenimiento industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews
5.0
Feb 15, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing talent and wonderful coworkers. Information sharing happens every day, all the time. It feels like you grow just by being in that environment and breathing the same air to so many talented individuals. Everyone was incredibly open and friendly from my first day with the company and this never changed. I love everyone I work with and I love the fact that there are not cliques and no gossip. We all work hard and play hard together. The company is invested in mentoring and growing each team member and they actually listen to everyone's desires and concerns and try to address them immediately. For such a large organization, they are very successful at making it feel like a small team where you quickly get to know and care about everyone.

Cons

The company gives you full ownership of your work which is great however it can also be tiring at peak times. Also the hiring process is slow as we want to make sure we can hire long term and not for quick burns so peak times are tougher for the current staff.

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Gensler Response
8y
Thanks for the fantastic feedback! We wholeheartedly agree that our people are our firm’s greatest asset, and we are glad to hear that information sharing, mentoring, and collaboration are happening every single day. We love to hear from our colleagues throughout the world, and appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective. Thanks again.
2.0
Dec 7, 2016

Lack of cultural competency

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fast paced environment. Beautiful view, centrally located.

Cons

Workplace dynamics are left unresolved and employees tend to create small circles and cliches. Introvert based personalities, women and marginalized communities and narratives are not appreciated. Lack of cultural competency. Lots of power and privilege dynamics which go unquestioned. Management too busy to check in with staff. Staff is very stressed and often cannot enjoy the many events created to enhance workplace culture. Forced vibe- lack of authenticity, the whole thing seems fake.

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Gensler Response
9y
Thank you for sharing feedback on your experience at Gensler. Our firm prides itself on an openness to feedback of all kinds and a willingness to accept constructive criticism. We certainly agree that Gensler is comprised of smart, talented designers. Our mission is to enrich the human experience through the power of design, and we strive to achieve it each and every day. We believe that diversity is critical to spurring creative thinking, which is why we cultivate a diverse workforce replete with different personalities and divergent points of view. Our workforce is majority female, and we have many women and people of color in leadership roles throughout the firm, including our executive suite. We reward our people based on merit and performance as opposed to other factors and will continue to do so. With regards to your comments about working on the firm’s operations side, there’s no question Gensler has experienced tremendous growth over the last few years, and in response to this growth we have begun to revamp the infrastructure we use to support our global scale and diversity of practice. This has involved exploring new ways of organizing and operating our firm, including investing in new systems and standardizing essential functions and processes. We recognize that change of this magnitude does not always happen as smoothly as it would in an ideal world. We apologize if this change affected your experience in a negative manner, but we remain committed to ensuring that our operations are capable of meeting the challenges of a rapidly evolving world. We know that achieving our goals in this area will take time, and we plan to work collaboratively with all of our team members to understand their points of view on how this change should continue to rollout. We have also shared your feedback with our leadership team so that they can consider the points you raised as we move forward. Thanks again for your feedback and know that we will do everything in our power to ensure our culture continues to promote diversity, curiosity, and creativity.
3.0
Feb 27, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

+Great networking opportunities—you’ll meet professionals from diverse backgrounds and gain exposure to different business lines. +Global presence—offices in major U.S. and international cities provide opportunities to expand your network. +Structured design practice—efficient for the company and profitable, though not the only way to practice architecture.

Cons

-Ineffective PDP & coaching system—mentorship is poorly executed, and managers often don’t take time to understand employees' goals. -Office politics play a huge role—to advance, you need the right internal sponsors. -Weak leadership development—I was part of a training program, yet my manager had no real understanding of my career interests. -Financial struggles—commercial real estate, especially workplace design, is at an all-time low. My employee stock increased only 0.75% in 2024, while the S&P 500 gained 21-24%. -DEI efforts don’t translate into leadership growth—while hiring is diverse, promotions still favor white male employees. -Company culture feels hollow—they claim it’s a priority, but little is invested in it due to strict cost controls under ESOP.

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Gensler Response
1y
Thanks for taking the time to share feedback on your experience at Gensler. We appreciate your candor and consider all the feedback we receive and will share your comments with leadership .
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