The intersection of fun and hard work - Anonymous Gusto Employee Review

5.0
Mar 13, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Gusto is awesome - and for me, it is the perfect blend of "small startup fun" and still having enough structure/ resources that it is not madness. -Very good work-life balance (PTO, schedule flexibility, WFH etc) -Genuinely challenging work (While not the flashiest space, the domain is complex) -Amazing people (both nice and smart) -Equity! (Slice of the pie of a 2 billion company) -No micromanaging -Diversity and Inclusion top of mind and actually walk the walk -Great benefits (catered lunch, free travel at 1 year anniversary, healthcare, etc)

Cons

The main cons with Gusto are honestly the best parts - it really just depends on what you like. i.e Scaling at a crazy rate and still experiencing startup growing pains. If "Change is the only constant" does not sound appealing, then Gusto may not be the happiest place for you. -Super fast face growth - this can be a lot to handle and if you take part of interviewing it feels like you have two jobs -There were higher cash offers out there so if you do not value equity you can likely find better offers -Start up "quirks" - i.e no shoes, unique terminology (employees = gusties, PE = manager, etc) - Not a con in my book but if you looking for somewhere conventional then Gusto may fall short

Explore other reviews about Gusto

5.0
Jun 10, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Smart and friendly coworkers. Excellent team culture

Cons

Tunnel visions on AI a bit too much

2.0
May 20, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The product is genuinely good, too bad the same can’t be said for how they treat the people who sell it.

Cons

Leadership talks a big game about people-first culture but the reality doesn’t match. The Chicago office expansion felt like a poorly thought-out experiment, new hires were brought on without a clear long-term commitment, and layoffs came without warning, leaving people blindsided. Crossing a billion dollars in revenue and still cutting employees sends a clear message about where workers rank on the priority list. Remote work flexibility is also a glaring weakness. For a company selling HR software to modern businesses, their internal stance on where employees can work is surprisingly rigid and hypocritical. The “flexibility” messaging is mostly optics. The broader concern is the AI roadmap. The automation push feels less like an innovation strategy and more like a slow wind-down of the workforce. Employees aren’t blind to it, it creates anxiety and erodes trust. The culture of transparency they promote externally is largely a facade internally.

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