Pros
Gensler looks good on a resume.
Cons
To the outside Gensler is at the top of architectural design industry but on the inside it is far from perfect. They want you to believe they hire the best talent and in return their employees reap the rewards. This is a misled fact that those who have worked or those who are currently employed know all too well. Career Opportunities: Ask anyone who has applied for a position with Gensler how disorganized the hiring process is. They pride themselves on doing a thorough search to find the top talent out there however the HR department is not organized in this way. When resumes come through recruiters do not take the time to thoroughly review a potential applicant’s background. On countless occasions I’ve seen resumes riddled with poor formatting, misspellings, bad grammar and gaps in work history yet; they still consider them for an interview. It seems all they want is a body to fill a seat. If you are considered as a candidate you receive an initial phone interview which will then lead to an in person interview. Countless times this process is not efficient. Many candidates have said they had to leave numerous messages with recruiters only to have their messages not answered. If they do speak to someone they are often given a run around and endless excuses as to why the interviews are not carried out. When the candidate finally comes in to meet with studio leaders they are left waiting in the lobby as recruiters scramble to make sure all the appropriate people are present. Most times candidates have to come back for a second and even a third interview because the right leadership was not present and offer letters are not done, often leaving a very bad taste to the potential hire. This also happens to the summer interns. So many potential hires/interns fall through the cracks because of incompetence. This is the image Gensler sets for itself. The head of HR is not fit to lead this department. This person was promoted internally after being originally hired as a leader for the studio/project coordinator group. Nothing in their work background is related to human resources. This person lacks the knowledge of the laws pertaining to employment often searching on the “google” site for answers that a qualified HR person should know. Is this the type of person that should be in this important position? Due to this lack of organization many employees feel they have no voice when an issue arises regarding their job. This person is never at their desk when you need to contact them. Emails go unanswered, voice messages go unheard. On many occasions this person has discussed sensitive issues with other employees that should not be spoken about outside the HR walls. In my option the whole department needs an overhaul. These frustrations lead employees to feel that they no one advocating for their rights. The perception is all Gensler cares about is their image and how the outside world sees them. They do not want the empire that has been built to be tarnished in any way. Senior Management: Gensler takes pride on great leadership even using the phrase, “thank you for your leadership.” This phrase gets used way too often and is often empty with meaning. Once an employee makes the transition from Senior Associate to Principal they sell their soul becoming a “Stepford” employee. Their whole attitude changes often for the worse because again they see how senior leaders treat people in the office so they feel they can display that same temperament. You can’t trust anyone. You’re constantly looking over your shoulder. Everyone has an ulterior motive. Those who have risen to the top of the Gensler ladder have done so on the bodies of coordinators and junior staff. Yet no one in management says anything. This leads to a toxic, hostile work environment. No one at Gensler is above the law. Gensler spends thousands of dollars yearly on retreats that do nothing to change the culture. No one takes it seriously. These events are looked at as a time to hang out with other Gensler people and to drink heavily. Drinking is also a major problem at Gensler. Almost all events have some sort of alcohol served, which leads to excessive drinking. People use the term work hard play hard but not everyone can deal with alcohol. Several people I know have developed a drinking problem often leading them to rehab. Why does every event have to have alcohol? There is a time and a place for everything. The amount of money that gets set aside for alcohol is outrageous. The money that is wasted on retreats could be used for better pay wages and bonuses. Work / Life Balance There is no work life balance although they swear by it. Most of the designers work well beyond an eight hour day often not being compensated for overtime. They work for free well into the night and early morning. I’ve been on several projects where the employees were told they could not work overtime but because of the unrealistic deadlines they have no choice but to work for free. They do not want to be seen as not a team player. I’ve also witnessed on any given weekend employees working at their desks for either part of the weekend or all of it because of the Clients aggressive timeline. The senior team leaders do not want to push back on the Client feeling it will tarnish the Client Relationship that has been built. Something Gensler prides themselves on Client relationships. They will do whatever it takes to keep the Client happy even at the expense of their employees. Gensler is a sea of yes men and women leaving their backbones at the front door. Working this kind of pace puts a toll on the employee physically and mentally. People often go on a leave of absence due to illness. I personally know of countless people who had a breakdown of some kind while working at Gensler myself included. I’ve had stress related illnesses including headaches, ulcers and heart palpitations. The stress also puts a strain on your personal life leading to divorce and breakups. You often don’t have time for your own children. If you are trying to expand your family people have often had stress related miscarriages or complications during pregnancy. These are real issues that need to be addressed. Lastly, I do not know how Gensler won the 2019 best place to work honor. I assure you no one who is employed there now would make such a statement. Most people are afraid to say what it is really like to work there because of the ramifications of being a squeaky wheel. They have mortgages to pay, school loan debt and families to feed. There would be too much to lose. Those of us who had the courage to leave were not allowed to leave with dignity. Immediately after turning in your resignation you are ostracized. No one in management will make eye contact with you much less acknowledge your existence. All the years you served the company means nothing. They have a way of making you disappear. These incidents described are not specific to one office. This cancer has spread throughout all Gensler offices. I’ve spoken to several people at different offices and our stories are the same. This type of treatment is unacceptable in any workplace.
