Lots of toxic positivity, politics, and communal narcissism - Software Engineer Gusto Employee Review

1.0
Dec 20, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Pretty offices - Good food - Might be right for you if you're the right sort of person

Cons

- Pretends to be a good company for underrepresented minorities. But isn't really that different from other companies. When you air concerns, the response is "but Gusto is perfect!" - Ever elusive "culture." They sell this sort of amazing, friendly, family-like culture to get you in to the company, but the reality of the "culture" is that people are just super gossipy and there is a lot of workplace drama. (And no, they don't actually really care about you, duh.) - It really depends on whether you fit in the basic, bland, outgoing, always happy, a little narcissistic Gusto personality. If you do, well then yes, you'll find a family here. If you don't, they will see you as a "problem" and try to "Gustofy" you (our performance reviews are called "Gustofied" for a reason). It's actually kind of terrifying. - Code is a mess, it's really difficult to get anything done because of all the hoops you have to jump through. - If you air a concern, they try to fix YOU for daring to think there is a problem. Because leadership cannot possibly be wrong.

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.

9
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