Gusto Company Culture & Values

What are some examples of ways your company supports or advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community beyond the month of June?

Our dedication to supporting and advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community is a year-round commitment filled with positivity and inclusivity. In partnership with our PRIDE Affinity Group, we proudly host a diverse array of events such as a speaker series, where distinguished individuals share their experiences and insights, fostering inspiration and empowerment within the PRIDE community. 

We also recognize the importance of intersectionality by collaborating with other Affinity Groups to ensure that our events and initiatives are inclusive of all identities and experiences. We raise awareness by shining a spotlight on and commemorating significant milestones such as National Coming Out Day and Transgender Day of Remembrance, ensuring that every member of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum receives the visibility and recognition they deserve.

Moreover, we continuously offer enriching educational opportunities through workshops, training sessions and resources, cultivating understanding, allyship and equity throughout our organization.

How does your company support and empower the LGBTQIA+ members of your team? 

We’re all about empowering our LGBTQIA+ team members by fostering an inclusive and engaged culture. One way we achieve this is through our selection process for Affinity Group Co-Leads. We encourage colleagues from all corners of the organization to step up and express interest in leading any of our Affinity Groups. This inclusive approach ensures that diverse voices are heard and valued in our decision-making processes. 

Additionally, we provide comprehensive benefits tailored to the needs of LGBTQIA+ employees, including healthcare coverage that encompasses gender-affirming care, mental health resources and family planning support. 

The results speak for themselves: our approach has brought about genuine connections, transparency and authenticity. It’s all part of creating a vibrant sense of belonging for LGBTQIA+ members and allies alike.

Describe how your ERGs are structured. What factors, such as steering committees and leadership support, play a role in upholding these groups?

At Gusto, our nine affinity groups are a central part of how we build belonging and strengthen our business. These groups bring together members and allies around shared identities and experiences, guided by two co-leads, a community clerk and an executive sponsor who ensures the group’s perspectives are heard by leaders across the company. As program manager, I provide continuity, align their efforts with company priorities and make sure each group has the resources and confidence to lead. This structure empowers employees, fosters collaboration and drives meaningful impact across the organization.

How do the company’s ERGs ensure employees play a role in the decision-making process? What opportunities do team members have to share their opinions and ideas about initiatives and policies?

Our communities provide multiple ways for employees to communicate and engage, including Slack channels, monthly group meetings and a dedicated monthly touchpoint with me for all group leads. These forums provide us with a clear view of the overall culture, highlight areas where we can improve and enable us to adapt initiatives as needed. Employees’ ideas and feedback directly inform programs, policies and initiatives. As a program manager, I help ensure these conversations are productive, aligned with business priorities and drive meaningful impact across the organization.

Share examples of some of the initiatives offered by one or more of your company’s ERGs. How do these opportunities enable employees to connect, learn and grow together?

Our ERGs create opportunities for employees to connect, learn and grow in ways that truly reflect the needs of their communities. Families with Gusto hosts mentorship circles and speaker events tailored to different family experiences, Juntos with Gusto offers sessions on financial literacy and Women with Gusto organizes virtual events like a breast cancer awareness walk. In one thoughtful initiative, the 40-plus with Gusto group provided resources for non-drinkers heading into the holiday season, ensuring all employees felt seen and supported. This is just a small glimpse into the work of our nine groups, whose engaged initiatives empower members and allies to build connection, share knowledge and contribute meaningfully across the company.

What makes you feel supported and valued at Gusto on a day-to-day basis?

On a day-to-day basis, a big part of feeling supported comes down to trust and collaboration. At Gusto, there’s a strong sense that people are trusted to do their best work, and that shows up in how teams operate.

Engineers are encouraged to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and contribute to decisions, regardless of title. That kind of environment makes people feel like their perspective actually matters.

There’s also a strong culture of teammates helping each other out. Whether it’s jumping in to unblock someone, offering feedback on an idea or sharing context across teams, people are genuinely invested in each other’s success. That combination of trust, openness and support is what makes the day-to-day experience feel both collaborative and rewarding.

How does your team prevent burnout while still delivering meaningful work?

Preventing burnout is a two-way street. As leaders, we have a responsibility to create psychological safety so people feel comfortable raising concerns early and often, especially when unexpected curveballs come up. At the same time, it’s important for individuals to speak up when something starts to feel unsustainable.

Product development rarely moves in a perfectly steady line. It tends to come in peaks and troughs — moments where teams are pushing hard to deliver something meaningful, followed by periods where things stabilize again. The key is making sure those peaks don’t become the constant state.

If someone is experiencing a lot of peaks, we should talk about it. If someone feels stuck in the troughs and isn’t feeling challenged, we should talk about that, too. Part of my role is helping teams find that sustainable middle ground so people can do great work without burning out.

Ultimately, we’re not looking for people to work 50-hour weeks to succeed here. The goal is meaningful impact delivered at a pace that people can sustain over the long term.

What’s one way Gusto shows appreciation that genuinely resonates with employees?

Great question. There are table stakes when it comes to working at any tech company — competitive salary, strong benefits and opportunities for career growth. Those things are expected, and rightly so.

What really differentiates companies is their reputation for how they treat people. I’ve been working in software development for over 25 years, and honestly I didn’t fully understand what a truly people-first company looked like until I joined Xero in 2014, which shares a lot of cultural similarities with Gusto.

At companies like Gusto, the “people-first” philosophy isn’t just something you see on a slide or a careers page. It shows up when life happens. If someone needs time or space to deal with something outside of work, the company genuinely supports that. That kind of trust and respect tends to be reciprocated. When people feel supported as humans first, they’re naturally more invested in the success of the company and their teammates. That’s certainly been my experience.