Discovery Communications Reviews in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL Area

Pros

Respect of your opinion, being well informed on we're they company is heading and status of company at all times. Family oriented company with flexible schedules in summer for attending to your kids, stock options and bonus every year. Special awards and we have a great HR department. Great place the only problem is that you will need to be set and happy were you are at since advancement is limited, because it's such a great place to work that no one wants to leave. If you want a place to work and meet great people that will become like family and do not care abut becoming vp or director, this is it... Also they will take you back if you leave in good standing.

Cons

Great place the only problem is that you will need to be set and happy were you are at since advancement is limited, because it's such a great place to work that no one wants to leave. Not much swag, that will be one of the few "needs improvement" areas you will get a t shirt or discovery cup every 6 years average.

Advice to Senior Management

Swag, more meet and greet with stars of our networks and bring back Ismaily.

Pros

good work-life balance and benefits

Cons

very few promotions, if you are not part of the group, forget it.

Advice to Senior Management

do you really think that people are motivated? start promoting from within ASAP.

Pros

- good content
- global company
- well known

Cons

- Lack of communication
- Irrespectful treatment from senior management
- Lack of interest of senior manager in potential of team/employees and their work

Advice to Senior Management

Communicate Communicate Commnunicate and respect.

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

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

Enthusiasm one has when one starts to at work last throughout. Projects one can get passionate about.

Cons

Unfortunately lack of growth within the structure, especially when referring to Discovery Latin America/US Hispanic. Growth tied to special interests and "friendships" not merit.

Advice to Senior Management

Discovery Latin America/US Hispanic operation ought to replicate the same standards as Discovery Communications HQ in Silver Spring. The lack of professionalism in the Miami office is notorious.

Pros

Great work environment, excellent employee morale, good high quality product compare to other media companies, great health care benefits, flexible work schedule. Like any other corporation, if you position yourself well, you can have great career opportunities.

Cons

Too many changes that don't make sense, sometimes they hired, and keep, inept upper management, used to be very secretive now is getting better but not ideal.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more open to communicate the good and the bad. employees are not like kids, they are adults. When in economic crisis, might be better to lower 10% of all employees' salaries (beginning with upper management) that laying off people. Keep in eye on good TV, high quality programs and the ratings will come.

Pros

Looks good on a resume and helps open doors elsewhere, at far better managed companies. Great for starting conversations...."you work for Discovery Channel...oh, I love that channel...blah, blah, blah....". Looks very cool on the surface.

Cons

The fact that the only good things I can say about Discovery are the things I said in "What are the best reasons to work for..." Otherwise, Discovery is atrociously bad at hiring upper management. Every announcement about increased profits is invariably be followed by lay-offs. If you have a true and sincere passion for documentary and educational television, then Discovery is not the place, as it provides neither. I can go on and on and on....

Advice to Senior Management

Wake up to the fact that your employees are valuable and are what make the company run. Try taking a chance on true, pioneering programming, instead just looking for the next big hit and copying it.

Pros

The workforce is of a rich multicultural background and the company foments diversity in the workplace. Discovery has a strong policy to balance work and life, and offer ample opportunities and benefits for growth from pursuing education, with partial payment of costs, to onsite training in applications that advance your work skills.

The environment is creative and cheerful, and their offices are conveniently located.

The Company pays good wages in comparison to others similar in nature, however depending on individual experience or area of expertise.

There is a lot of communication and information to become well acquainted with all the company offers. The content is exciting and there is never a dull moment, neither from the job itself, nor from the colleagues with whom you share your day. Exceptional talent works here and great people are drawn to this company for the laurels it rests upon.

Cons

Despite it being a media and communications company, and despite having an elaborate internal communication structure, employees are mostly in the dark as to processes and procedures.

There is a lot of training offered, when it comes to it, the fact is, it is sink or swim, meaning that the enormous network must be deciphered on one's own, or run the risk of being belittled or intimidated by your manager ... albeit with a kind face.

There is a dire lack of management that results in poor communication and waste of talent and time... and resulting in mediocrity camouflaged...
New hires are taken on as temporarily or as contracted through Ranstaad... it is tough to get into the ranks of Discovery per se.
Their incentives are not easy to take advantage of, the fact of the matter is, there is no time, or most of the benefits and training takes place at impossible times, or all day disrupting the work flow, or in Silver Springs headquarters.

It is an every man to himself attitude that prevails among some departments, with managers quelling an employee's efforts to excel in creativity and effectiveness.

There is an overall sense that no one knows what is going on, but all follow along from a sense of complacency, and relief to continue working in a place due to the fact that many deem that in Miami there is nowhere better to go from here.

There has been a big turn over in the company with dozens of layoffs... yes, in part due to the downturn in the economy, but also due to an aggressive expansion and capitalization strategy. All in all it boils down to another brick in the wall...

Advice to Senior Management

Communicate and foment a sense of structure and purpose to your teams, from the bottom to the top - in that direction.

Talk the talk, because Discovery is great at that, especially at its Town Halls, and Exito meetings and breakfasts with the CEOs, potlucks, and Halloween bashes... But it is also necessary to Walk the Walk, and respect the promises to employees... in as much as you can in a corporate cog/wheel dynamic that ensues from having capital dictate the ebb and flow of your human resources.

Don't give inconsequential Pep Rallies, when you speak of how brilliant the company is doing revenue wise, but then cut back on your workforce with the swiftness of a machete wielding cane worker.

Give those that merit recognition the positive recognition they merit.

There is a happy face mentality in the workplace, but beneath there is a dog eat dog rationale, creating cliques, back stabbing, intimidation management, and disillusionment with the company in the end.

Remember, you exhaust the spirit of your corps and you end up exhausting your core.

Work from the ground up when making decisions that will affect everyone... do not forget the humble origins not only your own but also that of the founders of the company, and the foundations of Discovery.