Comcast’s Berlin headquarters is a busy place and full of energy. It’s evident in the hallways and on the faces of employees in the light-hearted give-and-take that follows a chance encounter with company executives.
“We’re in a fun business,” explains Doug Guthrie, senior vice president of Comcast’s Connecticut West region. “It’s a very exciting time for this business and very enjoyable for our employees.”
It’s the fourth straight year the nation’s largest cable television and fourth largest phone service giant has been named to the Hartford Business Journal’s list of Best Places to Work in Connecticut.
“It’s really the best of both worlds here,” he explained. “When people come to work for us, they know they’ve got the best benefits of a large corporation backing their career. But they discover that we’re actually a very decentralized family, with a small company kind of feel in the way we operate.”
These benefits, according to Guthrie and Suzan Persutti, the region’s vice president of human resources, include a matching 401K, 85-percent employer-paid health care, tuition reimbursement, a stock-purchase plan, merit pay, bonus plans and more. Employees also receive discounted phone service and free cable TV to encourage employees to use and learn about company services.
Keeping a growing Connecticut employee base of 1,300, including 500 to 600 outside technicians, informed and engaged is a task Guthrie and his team work at every day, he says. The company holds periodic open forum town meetings, territory-wide management team road shows, and smaller supervisory meetings. It publishes a weekly newsletter, issues frequent executive messages, conducts regularly scheduled training and professional development through Comcast University and invests in technology that allows better two-way communications.
Guthrie said limiting the size of technician and call center management teams to 12 or 14 employees helps keep communication channels open and manageable. Increased telecommuting options for call center employees have helped retain experienced customer contact personnel.
“Our employees want to stay once they’re hired,” Persutti added. Comcast’s attrition rate is well below industry standards, according to Guthrie and Persutti. Guthrie added that every member of his senior management team has been with the company for 20 years or more.
Another, more subtle measure of employees’ satisfaction, according to Guthrie, is the extent to which employees participate in Comcast’s many charitable activities.
“Volunteerism here is unbelievable,” he said, whether it’s their own favorite activity or one of the many larger company-sponsored causes. More than 1,000 Comcast volunteers participated in last year’s Comcast Day of Caring and employees contributed more than $50,000 to last year’s annual United Way drive. An additional $110,000 was donated by Comcast to 58 nonprofits and another $95,000 donated through the Comcast Foundation.
“In simple terms,” Guthrie said, “it’s about servicing the customer, being a great place to work and achieving strong financial results. It’s easy to talk about and the employees get it.”
Type of business: Provider of cable, entertainment and communication products and services
Connecticut employees: 1,300
Connecticut locations: 16
Headquarters: Berlin
HR contact: Suzan W. Persutti, vice president of human resources, Connecticut West region
Top local executive: Douglas R. Guthrie, senior vice president, Connecticut West region
Founded: 1963
