September 1, 2010

Cable Fax: 2010 Top 10 Places to Work in Cable

By Michael Grebb with Seth Arenstein

Lately, it seems like the best place to work is anywhere hiring. Gallows humor, perhaps. But know one thing: cable continues to fight for the best employees. Now that the economy has stabilized (sort of), cable remains one of the best places to park it in an office chair, behind the wheel of a service vehicle or at the edge of a utility Versalift.

Sure, belts are tight. And companies across the board have implemented cost cutting and other measures that make us yearn for 2007. Despite the shared sacrifices of workers everywhere, we found plenty of cable companies still offering impressive and innovative employee benefits.

As in previous years, we asked employees to complete our online nomination form if they felt their employer was deserving and to tell us why. The CableFAX staff compiled the list, with criteria including benefits, growth potential, diversity initiatives, advancement opportunities for women and community involvement, among other things. The companies profiled below are listed in alphabetical order.

Canoe Ventures

Did you hear that no one’s hiring now? Don’t tell that to Canoe Ventures, which continues to increase its headcount and just moved to bigger offices in Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center area to accommodate its growing ranks.

Add to this picture the scrappy feel of this industry-funded upstart and it’s clear why Canoe again makes our list. It’s the kind of place where the lowest-level employee can feasibly bring an idea to dynamic CEO David Verklin — and actually see it incorporated into the business plan without going through endless layers of middle management. It’s a place where smart people go to apply new concepts in interactive advertising, using technologies and techniques never before applied across the country’s diverse patchwork of cable systems.

And here’s the best part: Employees get all the excitement of a startup but with the stability of a company backed by cable’s biggest MSOs. It’s literally the best of both worlds. But as a savvy advertiser might say, "Wait... there’s more!" Canoe also offers benefits that go beyond the usual. How about a 50% match on 401K contributions and tuition reimbursement? How about discounts at participating retailers via the Rockefeller Privilege program? And get this: Yoga at Work! This ain’t Don Draper’s advertising business.

Charter Communications

It’s one thing when we get a couple of nominations from the HR or PR departments. But when nearly 250 employees, ranging from SVPs to CSRs, take the time to give us details on why their company is among cable’s best, we listen closely. That’s the situation with Charter. Despite its rocky road over the last few years with bankruptcy, financial re-orgs and even the loss of respected CEO Neil Smit to Comcast, employees continue to proudly sing its praises. Said one headend tech: "I came to Charter 5 years ago looking for a job and I found a career." An employee who needed to move because of a family emergency notes that "Charter practically bent over backward trying to find me the closest position I was qualified for to keep me not only closer to my family but [to] stay with the company." Those kind of anecdotes are typical of Charter.

We could list other benefits: Worker training programs, support for charity work, retirement benefits, tuition reimbursement, adoption expense reimbursement, an employee discount program (mycharterconnection.com), survivor benefits, etc. But most workers who got in touch with us focused on the supportive atmosphere and opportunities for advancement. "Charter has been a blessing for my family," said an enthused employee. For a company that’s been through the ringer in recent years, that’s gotta be music to management’s ears.

Comcast

Is big necessarily better? Sometimes. We got dozens of enthusiastic entries from Comcasters who praised cable’s Papa Bear for its advancement programs, including Steve Burke’s brainchild, Comcast U, where employees learn new areas of the business. The company had held more than 15K employee training events by the end of Q2 and most of Comcast’s leaders come from internal promotions. In terms of atmosphere, a common theme seems to be "corporate, but fun." As a Texas employee noted, "This company really works and plays hard."

In addition, Comcast continues to offer significant perks, including free cable, tuition reimbursement, 401K match (up to 4.5% of salary), an employee stock purchase/stock options program, numerous mentoring initiatives and many other benefits. As one happy employee said: "I attended a conference and founder Ralph Roberts asked folks to raise their hand if Comcast was not their first job. Once he counted the hands, he simply said, ‘You’re home now... Welcome!" That says it all.

Cox Communications

Not only is Cox one of the best places for customer care and diversity, it’s also one of the best places to work. Perhaps Cox knows something that many others have forgotten: Happy employees equal happier customers. It’s no wonder. A recent employee survey indicated near-perfect scores in areas like company culture and exec engagement. Among Cox’s benefits are career development initiatives that match employee aspirations and values to business needs (simple yet brilliant), a company-funded pension and 50% 401K match, Dependent Care reimbursement including elderly care, Weight Watchers at Work and — who’d a thunk it? — fresh fruit in break rooms. Fresh fruit? Watch out, Snickers!

Cox’s call centers offer child care. The San Diego center even has a state-of-the-art facility. And in Hampton Roads, VA, Cox offers a childcare subsidy of 25%/child to employees making less than $60K. A virtual call center initiative in AZ allows employees to work from home. Cox offers tuition reimbursement, mentoring and other support for those who want to work hard and move up.

Discovery

It’s never a tough call to include Discovery here, especially because it continues to offer the same impressive slate of perks and advantages that have put it in our Top 10 since we started compiling this list. Working at Discovery equals association with a big content company blazing into the future under ever-moving CEO David Zaslav. Its headquarters is in the economically healthy D.C. area. And with Oprah developing a network, isn’t it only a matter of time before all employees get a free car? OK... maybe that’s not going to happen, but Discovery’s focus on employees is truly unique.

Not only does its MentorNet program foster professional development, but other perks include tuition reimbursement, a $1,500 employee referral program, a generous 401K match (up to 3% of salary; 50% for the next 3%). In addition to wellness centers at its Silver Spring and NYC locations, Discovery’s headquarters has a childcare center with room for 102 kids, from infants to pre-schoolers. The company also offers national childcare support through Bright Horizon’s Back-Up Care Program, providing 24/7 access to emergency in-home childcare or eldercare. Flex time options are available. Need exercise? How about a commuting reimbursement of up to $350 toward the purchase of a bicycle, $100 annually toward athletic shoes, a $60/month transit subsidy and even car-sharing services? Sign us up.

Fox Networks

Imagine a workplace with an on-site daycare center, a car wash, a hair salon, a shoe repair shop, a dry cleaner, a gym and, as of just recently, even a full-service dentist. Now imagine a Learning and Development Center with classes ranging from "Managing Difficult Conversations" to "Creative Communication." How about a philanthropic outreach program where employees can volunteer up to 40 hours per year on company time? Or a place where the top legal execs are minority women: (EVP/General Counsel Rita Tuzon and SVP/Associate General Counsel Claudia Teran)? Well, this place actually exists, sunshine. And it’s called Fox Networks. That’s not all. Fox sponsors numerous other employee programs, including the "X Awards," in which managers can hand out bonuses of $25 to $500 to top performers, referral bonuses and tuition reimbursement. These benefits continue despite the economic downturn. And Fox has avoided significant layoffs. But beyond the programs and perks is the work environment itself. Says one employee: "Creativity and risk-taking are rewarded. Employees are encouraged to voice ideas and opinions. The executives let you run your own deals without micromanaging you." Sounds good.

Scripps Networks

For those who love cable but don’t want to live in NY or LA, the little town of Knoxville, TN, beckons like warm apple pie. Perhaps we’re laying it on thick, but Scripps’ homespun charm and location are part of its character and strength. And it offers plenty of perks, including tuition reimbursement, referral bonuses, training programs and a healthy 401K match of 50% (up to 6% of income). Scripps also sports an impressive record on gender equality, with WICT’s ’09 PAR Initiative naming it among the best programmers for women. Not only are 54% of Scripps’ managers women, but women lead three of its nets (Food, Travel and DIY). People of color comprise 25% of management and hold top positions at Cooking, Travel, digital, legal and HR. Community service runs through the Scripps’ soul. It gives employees one paid volunteer day during its annual Volunteer Week and matched staff donations to Haiti’s earthquake relief up to $5K. So we’re over the top with the apple pie thing? Sue us.

Turner

Like Scripps, Turner offers a way to work at a top media company outside of LA and NY. And while Atlanta gets a bit... shall we say, muggy...during the summer, we think that might be a result of Turner’s red-hot content on broadcast-competitive nets like TNT and TBS. But it’s about more than location. Turner also offers impressive benefits, including its "Total Rewards" portfolio with a paid-time-off bank (18-28 days based on tenure), on-site fitness/gym discounts, an on-site health and wellness center, discounts at local sporting events and on travel, up to $5K tuition reimbursement, up to $250 for backup child care, $10K in adoption assistance, a backup dependent care program for childcare and adult/elder care, a subsidized commuting program for mass transit, vanpools, carpools and bikers, paid leave for adoption, maternity and parental duties. Whew. Turner even offers healthcare management, including a 24/7 "NurseLine," maternity support and the Autism Support Program. Turner not only sponsors a near-site daycare center in Atlanta but a NYC backup daycare center that traveling employees can use for free. Then there’s professional development, mentoring, support for volunteering... too much to list here. The point? Even with Atlanta’s summers, Turner’s cool.

WOW!

Wouldn’t you like to work at a company whose reverence for employees is perhaps the most critical piece of its philosophy? That’s Denver-based overbuilder WOW!, whose chief, Colleen Abdoulah, states boldly, "Employees come first here." There are perks and benefits, but the root of WOW!’s thinking is that outstanding customer care comes only when there’s worker satisfaction. "We put a premium on making sure our employees can do their jobs well, consistently," says Mike Furst, SVP of Customer Care. The feisty Abdoulah routinely spends hours with new hires, especially those who interact directly with customers. WOW!’s philosophy emanates from Abdoulah, who learned it from her dad. More than 90% of WOW! employees say they are "extremely happy" at work. And the customers? In last year’s J.D. Power survey, WOW! achieved the highest customer satisfaction ranking in all its regions for video, Internet and phone. That’s never been done. By anyone.

Time Warner Cable

We often hear good things about working at Time Warner Cable, and it’s no wonder.

Judging from its low turnover and attention to employee benefits, this company understands that every worker — no matter what their rank — ultimately has a huge influence on customers. So Time Warner Cable offers more than 2,000 training courses, an education assistance program, mentoring and job shadowing to foster professional development. And there are other perks, including discounted cable, domestic partner benefits, lactating rooms, on-site amenities such as fitness facilities (or subsidized memberships at local wellness/fitness centers), and even dry cleaning pick-up.

The company also encourages participation in industry groups, paying for employees to join associations like WICT and NAMIC. An internal Women’s Council, meanwhile, strategizes ways to foster female career advancement. The company also encourages community service and just launched "Connect a Million Minds," an initiative to encourage youth to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering and math. And let’s not forget that the company is based in the heart of midtown Manhattan, considered by many to be the center of the universe and also a major local system for Time Warner Cable. Come to think of it, Time Warner also runs an LA system. So if you want to be in the center of all things show biz, why not work for a company connected to its two central hubs?