As a leading media, technology, and entertainment company, Comcast has become much more than a cable TV provider.
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast is America’s largest media and multi-national telecommunications company.
Other divisions of the company include Xfinity, NBC Universal, and the Sky Group.
Comcast has approximately 186,000 employees in multiple departments and managerial positions.
As of February 2022, the company’s market capitalization was valued in excess of $213 billion and had an estimated 32.1 million broadband subscribers.
Comcast continues to work to acquire or partner with valuable assets to promote growth and expansion within the company and its industry.
Comcast, as a company, has also made a commitment to reducing its overall carbon footprint and becoming carbon neutral by 2035.
In fact, the company can attest to a 28% reduction in operating emissions since 2019.
If you’re looking to start or advance a career with Comcast, it’s important to understand what the company can offer as well as what it requires of its employees.
Today, we’ll examine some of the benefits and drawbacks of working for this international media giant.
Table of Contents
Pros of Working at Comcast
1. Competitive Pay Rates
Comcast employees are quick to point out that their salary is one of the more important benefits of working for the company.
Across the board, positions at Comcast will meet or exceed the salary averages of comparable competitors.
For many positions, the salary rate is substantially higher.
Employees are also able to take advantage of a number of company perks and have access to excellent health insurance and benefits packages.
Employees are also able to plan for their future with 401k savings plans and employer contributions.
2. Comprehensive Benefits Package
Employees will also attest to the robust set of benefits they receive from the company.
Medical benefits, personal time off, and the life milestones program are all designed to give employees the best possible opportunities for a successful life and work environment.
Medical benefits include:
- Physician Medical
- Prescription
- Vision
- Dental Insurance
The Milestones program focuses on offering support for a varying range of changes and happy additions to a family or household.
Equally, employees are offered PTO for sick days, vacations, holidays, and other necessary occurrences for maintaining a healthy work/life balance.
3. Employee Perks
Comcast employees are eligible for certain perks or benefits with partnering or subsidiary companies and groups.
For instance, employees are able to receive discounted tickets or special offers with Universal Resorts.
Additionally, those working full-time for Comcast can receive free or discounted Xfinity services.
Not only do employees receive top-quality internet and cable TV service, but they also become more familiar with the product their customers see each day.
4. Flexible Scheduling
Depending on the position or job requirements, many employees will be able to manage a schedule outside of the confines of traditional working hours.
In some cases, employees are encouraged to request non-traditional schedules.
Customer representatives, for example, are often needed in after-hours time slots, so customers are able to receive dependable service 24/7.
Many Comcast employees are able to find steady work and successfully leverage their working time.
5. Opportunities for Advancement
Comcast works to foster and train great employees with the hopes of seeing them become successful.
Like any competitive business, Comcast looks for the best in its workers and often chooses its hires from within the company.
Employees who are able to adapt to new challenges and maintain a consistent level of work engagement are often able to parlay their prior experience within the company into advancements at all levels.
6. Large, Established Company
Since Comcast and its subsidiaries are so well known and profitable, they are also a dependable company to work for.
Employment with a global conglomerate such as Comcast also offers numerous opportunities for benefits and competitive pay rates, as we’ve seen previously.
The size and scope of Comcast also allude to the future of the company, as it seems they are bigger than ever and steadily growing.
It’s often a safe bet to plan a long-term career with an established and successful business.
7. Remote Work Options
With increasing numbers of employees looking for work options outside of the traditional office setting, many employers are leaning toward the idea of remote work.
Comcast is able to offer a number of jobs that can be successfully managed through partial or completely remote operations.
Remote work positions may include and aren’t limited to:
- Customer Service Representatives
- Customer Account Executives
- Inbound Sales
- Software Engineers
- Inside Sales and Business Accounts
- Relations Specialist
- Data Engineers
- Senior Management positions
Whether by choice or by necessity, remote work options increase employment possibilities for many dedicated workers.
Cons of Working at Comcast
1. Long Hours
One of the consistent complaints from many previous and current employees is the extended hours of work they encountered.
Either as overtime or to complete a job or customer service call, many employees can attest to working beyond their regularly scheduled parameters.
Comcast feels that each employee should give their best effort for the company and its customers.
Sometimes this may equate to extra work time beyond the scope of the typical day.
Make sure you completely understand what will be expected of you as an employee before you’re hired.
2. Difficult Customers
Customer service and retail employment often require a special level of patience, especially when customers are already experiencing problems.
At Comcast, there are a number of positions that require interaction with customers, often at varying stages of frustration or desperation.
Employees working as customer service representatives, on-call service technicians, and account relations managers must all be adept at keeping customers calm and acting fast to resolve their problems.
Helping customers isn’t always easy, but is definitely necessary for continued company success.
3. Physically Demanding
Some positions within the company may also be difficult for those with physical limitations.
Service and installation technicians, warehouse employees, and even some outside sales jobs may require more energy and stamina than some employees can safely provide.
Be sure to communicate clearly and honestly what you can or can’t do.
Receive confirmation of the scope and parameters of the position(s) you’re applying for, too.
Having questions during the interviewing process is an important factor that potential employers take note of.
4. Corporate Bureaucracy
Since Comcast is such a large conglomerate company, there are often many steps or procedures in place which can make progress or action feel slow or stifled.
Whether focusing on customer needs or referring to employee concerns, the bureaucratic processes in place can seem like more of a barrier than a benefit to progress.
Like many corporate entities, Comcast has to have a plethora of procedures in place to maintain order and consistency.
Learning how to navigate company policy can be challenging for new employees.
5. Management Positions are Highly Sought After
While growth and advancement are encouraged and promoted, upper management positions are often hard to find.
This can be discouraging for many who are looking to climb the ranks at Comcast.
It’s also a solid endorsement and a testament to the company’s prosperity and upper management loyalty, as the turnover for these positions isn’t very high.
Some complaints also mention too much hiring from outside of the company.
Comcast maintains that they hire based primarily on individual applicant merit and experience.
6. High Expectations
Comcast expects the best from its employees.
Sometimes, the company’s expectations may seem a little difficult to meet, though.
Some previous employees have indicated that they felt pressured to work longer hours, produce better sales numbers, or complete more customer service calls per week.
Ultimately, all companies want their employees to give 100% and go the extra mile, when possible.
Comcast is not unique in its desire to see employees do more.
For some, the methods of encouragement and support did not match the company’s employee goals.
7. Employee/Management Communications
For many large corporations, disseminating information and company policies is often a blanket approach, sent through emails or company-wide memos.
More specific or personal communications have to be scheduled or planned ahead of time.
Due to Comcast’s size, communication was an area in which some employees felt the company could do better.
In particular, conversations with management were considered difficult to schedule.
Customer service initiatives and directives often needed further clarification from management, but work schedules rarely allowed for downtime for one-on-one conversations or further explanations of policy and procedure.
14 Pros and Cons of Working for Comcast – Summary Table
Pros of Working at Comcast | Cons of Working at Comcast |
---|---|
1. Competitive Pay Rates | 1. Long Hours |
2. Comprehensive Benefits Package | 2. Difficult Customers |
3. Employee Perks | 3. Physically Demanding |
4. Flexible Scheduling | 4. Corporate Bureaucracy |
5. Opportunities for Advancement | 5. Management Positions are Highly Sought After |
6. Large, Established Company | 6. High Expectations |
7. Remote Work Options | 7. Employee/Management Communications |
Should You Work for Comcast?
Working for Comcast offers applicants excellent benefits and competitive pay rates, as well as quite a few perks and company-based incentives.
Comcast also hires workers for a variety of different positions and skill sets, so many employees are able to effectively match their talents with the company’s needs.
Of course, being a large corporation, Comcast won’t be the best fit for everyone.
Those looking for a small, family-owned business should look elsewhere.
For workers who enjoy a fast-paced work environment with a focus on customer service, though, Comcast may be the perfect fit.