Gensler reviews

1) Gensler's design studio is a machine. It churns out work like it's a production studio, rather than a design leader. Therefore, a lot of the work is very stale and becomes just cheap copies of what's already been done. 2) People are overworked and overbooked very quickly so burn out is common. PTO time is accrued and is combined with sick time. It is a stupid and archaic policy that should be changed with the times, but like so much with Gensler, will remain in place and be inflexible. 3) The New York office is exceedingly political; if you don't play the game, you won't get ahead. People on the surface seem to care about your growth, with the joke that is the PDP program, but it is really a dog eat dog environment. There is no system in place to help newer team members get more familiar with the work or forgiveness when mistakes are made. 4) The hours system. Instead of being work being deadline based, hours are taken too seriously here, to the detriment of the work. Hours are what make PMs happy and it informs the work you do here; things are made doubly stressful. If you go over a certain number, it is flagged. If you do not produce enough in a certain number, it is flagged. These numbers determine the quality of the work. 5) Gensler's management is tone deaf to the change in work environment. The force to work four days a week in the office, for the sake of "culture", is ridiculous. Gensler is self-proclaimed to be a "People first" company, but without actually putting people's interest or well-being first, is hypocritical. It is "profit first", merely a ploy for management of the company to feel good about themselves; for their connections on Linkedin or other PR sites to praise them for getting past Covid.

There is zero appreciation for great performance and work especially if you are a minority. I’m not going to sugar code this, during my time at gensler there 9 individuals promoted among my peers in my studio. 7 were white. 1 of the 2 minorities was promoted in 2021 after the DEI movement across the nation. Gensler is very politically correct. There is a lot of efforts to parented that they are supporting DEI however there little being done to actually resolve issues with in the firm. Turnover among minorities at gensler is very high. The pay is 20-30% below industry standard even with bonus and overtime included. Benefits are very basic. There is no paternity/maternity leave. In essence gensler is very much like high school. You’re either in with the popular kids or your not regardless of your qualification. To senior professional your experience outside of gensler is completely disregarded as soon as you walk in to this office.