NBC Universal Reviews

Pros

Good benefits. Longevity in job if you fit in.

Cons

Management team acts from a place of fear, rather than true team collaboration. Hard work is taken for granted so don't expect a lot of back slapping for your achievements. Not a warm and friendly place between upper management and lower management. People are afraid to speak out, share ideas, or be entrepreneurial. Very corporate environment in which people who work near one another can go years without saying hello.

Advice to Senior Management

Foster internal independent creativity. Do better to exploit the untapped talents of employees by giving them autonomy to contribute through independent projects rather than make the employees feel like expendable troops waiting for edicts from upper management.

Pros

The people are so nice and the work is fun.

Cons

The internship was not paid.

Pros

Creative, fun environment
Fast paced, not at all stagnant
Technology is current
Opportunity to advance
Good work/life balance and health benefits

Cons

Senior management is largely incompetent, major coverage decisions are inconstantly bad
Management does not listen to employee suggestions
Nepotism and favoritism are rampant

Advice to Senior Management

Work environment is like a constant soap opera. Promote people who work hard and believe passionately in the companies mission.

Pros

Growth from acquisition and expansion
Lots of projects and work to provide personal and professional growth
Many talented people with a diverse knowledge base

Cons

Projects are not properly vetted by all parties affected
Past mistakes are repeated
Business objectives supersede common sense

Advice to Senior Management

Managers must cultivate morale by communicating openly with employees
Public disciplinary actions should never be tolerated
Actions have consequences
When the performance is bad the audience leaves

Pros

Peers, company content, working environment. NBC Universal is a great studio.

Cons

Senior management, opportunity for advancement.

Advice to Senior Management

Be accountable for your actions. Pay more attention to what is good for employees, not just the business.

Pros

-Name recognition
-Great work environment
-Fun assignments
-Popular commissary for lunches
-Frequent interaction with upper level executives in some depts.
-Company transparency is a great perk

Cons

-Depending on the department, no upward mobility
-Low starting salaries for some lower level positions, such as the Page program

Advice to Senior Management

Raise employee morale by coming down harder on people who are disrespectful. HR dept. needs to follow up better on complaints against certain employees. Increased respect for interns in certain depts. would also be appreciated.

Pros

Great internship experience with plenty of hands on learning.

Cons

No room to grow. in company from internship

Advice to Senior Management

Hire more entry level college graduates

Pros

The supervisors are very receptive to your career goals and interests, and therefore encourage you to explore any areas of interest. Your work is recognized and you know how it fits into a bigger picture.

Cons

Not too many opportunities to take on a higher level of responsibility. Sometimes projects get tedious and too long term.

Advice to Senior Management

TBD

Pros

If you live in the "Valley" it's a great location, even if you lived in Hollywood, I'd consider working at Universal.

Cons

If you do not live in the "Valley" it's could be a big commute, if you in Hollywood, it still might be a big drive in the mornings.

Advice to Senior Management

You should seriously consider giving free entry to the Universal Parks, It would be a great benefit, for the employees.

Pros

NBCUniversal still is a big studio. Has a history and the know how to produce and distribute great content.

Cons

Good place to work when you don't have serious ambition. Management team and culture slowly changing. Creatives run the company --- but don't know that they have the ability to make the company a leader. Very poor professional development across the board which isn't that uncommon in the industry.

Advice to Senior Management

Need a shared vision and how each group can contribute to it. Need management under Steve Burke to reach further into the organization and talk to people who have been here. Not everything under GE was stupid. There was a lot under the old NBC Universal that was not well run or well managed. A lot of new people in positions at senior level and don't know how things work, haven't communicated how they will (or should) work, and aren't engaging legacy OR new employees to find out how all levels of the organization can reenergize the company. Ok to start over. But, the best people are leaving. Just because your management team that has been "saved" or put into place in the last year say something doesn't mean they aren't just saying whatever it takes to keep their jobs. Ask one level down.