Discovery Communications Reviews

Pros

1.the benefit package is awesome.
2. The products are great.
3. Nice surroundings
4. Great amenities

Cons

I agree with some of the reviewers that low pay is a con for this company. Also the lack of professionalism and ethical behavior demonstrated by some of the HR personnel is a huge downside for Discovery. They not only backup the incompetence of some directors/ managers/ VPs, but also everything you tell them is shared to those managers, which causes animosity and hostility within the group. Aren't they (HR) supposed to keep things confidentially or at least without disclosing names?

Advice to Senior Management

Start reviewing and modifying your HR policies to avoid bias behaviors and bigotry. Promote within. There are many talented professionals inside Discovery that are eager to learn and to be challenged. Discovery encourages education and provides tuition reimbursement but at the end, instead of promoting those who took advantage of this benefit, discovery let them go to other places to use that new knowledge they obtained. To let this happen, it is a waste of Discovery money and bad management. Start looking at the talent and stop looking at the skin color of a person.

Pros

fun atmosphere - laid back but still professional; variety of age groups in employees.

Cons

low pay - interns get a parking/transportation stipend

Advice to Senior Management

eh?

Pros

-Amazing internship experience
-Meaningful and purposeful work assigned to interns
-Lots of opportunities to work with different people in different departments
-Fantastic work environment and the employees are happy!
-Get to say to people that you work for Discovery Channel

Cons

-Internship is unpaid
-Driving to work is a pain
-The cafeteria in the building serves expensive food that is not worth it or good

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the good work and don't slip up.

Pros

- Great Learning Opportunity
- Ability to learn about the many divisions of the the company
- Well kept office
- Very friendly staff

Cons

- Internship program offers no pay only school or university credit and only parking transportation is paid by the company

Advice to Senior Management

Management did a superior job with their internship program. The experience will help me throughout my career and personal life

Pros

Great benefits, great product to work on, some wonderful people to work with, learn new things every day.

Cons

Lack of management, no job security, constant layoffs, low pay, low work-life balance (unless you have kids), lack of growth potential.

Advice to Senior Management

Stabilize. Promote from within. Encourage leadership and management. Remove dysfunctional management.

Pros

Name recognition, decent benefits package, and relative stability through the recession.

Cons

Absolutely no professional development or advancement to speak of. Nepotism and cronyism are the rule of law where hiring and promotions are concerned. Promotions especially are little more than popularity contests among friends and friends (or relatives) of friends. Naturally, all this inevitably leads to incompetence, especially at the many levels of management. Incompetence for which usually no one is held accountable, due once again to the aforementioned "isms."
The best way to get hired or promoted in this division is to already be in somebody's rolodex.

Advice to Senior Management

1. Dept. managers who fill vacancies with relatives, friends and neighbors, most of whom are not qualified or experienced are hurting the company in the long term. This will only ensure a shallow talent pool without the breadth of experience seasoned applicants bring. HR needs to review their hiring procedures.
2. Exactly what does a manager have to do to get fired in this office? The most egregious offenses I witnessed were committed by managers. From incompetence to harrassment of employees to inappropriate relationships with subordinates, and everything in between. I've seen it all. And when reasonable people ask how they can carry on with impunity there's never a good answer.

Pros

The content of the channel is excellent and stimulating. The working atmosphere is enhanced by the diversity and talent of my colleagues.

Cons

In Italy, upper management does not seem to be at the high level it is at in other countries. Communication is frustrated by inflexible hierarchy.

Advice to Senior Management

Hold employees in upper management accountable to specific goals. Monitor what they are doing. Make sure new hires have had ample experience in television.

Pros

The benefits are amazing, gym membership reimbursement, wellness center on premises, great health/dental care, childcare. Pretty easy work

Cons

Low salaries (and I mean LOW), no growth or career advancement, work near holidays (Christmas Eve)

Advice to Senior Management

If you're serious about career advancement, get this on your resume and then move on to better opportunities

Pros

You can really make things happen. Every day offers new challenges. Come to work on your game, pay attention, and you will be rewarded.

Cons

It is a tough business. Lay-offs are frequent.

Pros

You will encounter very talented people

Cons

Unfortunately, there are only a few...

Advice to Senior Management

Promote the talented people before they go to Nat Geo or PBS