Thoughtful People Working on an Important Problem - Anonymous employee Gusto Employee Review

5.0
13 Aug 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

+ People are really thoughtful and most seem to genuinely care about the customer as well as each other (...at least much more so than other companies I've been a part of). + Challenging problems to solve, both on the technical side as well as business side. Keeps the work interesting and the career path rewarding with a good sense of purpose in Gusto's mission. + Feels big enough to have some serious momentum, but small enough to make a difference. For those up to the challenge and ok with some startup ambiguity, there are lots of opportunities to seize.

Cons

- In 2015 had growing pains through the awkward teenage years of the startup journey. The team 5x'ed, the company re-branded and opened an out-of-state office...not simple when doing at the same time. Probably could have been better, but at least it wasn't much worse. Seems to have stabilized and the trains seem to be running more smoothly again. - Different perspectives on what a 'people first' culture means seemed to have caused some internal discord. Felt like at times there's a tinge of the standard Silicon Valley sense of entitlement, like the bananas aren't organic enough. Management communications and leadership could have been better here.

Explore other reviews about Gusto

5.0
10 Jun 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
20 May 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.

10
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All