Author Topic: Getty Employees Speak Out (Read 6147 times)

Jo Ann Snover · « **on:** December 03, 2012, 01:30 »

I happened upon this write up from some Getty IT employees when I was looking for something else. Can't say I'm surprised to hear some negative comments. Interesting to hear that they're outsourcing some software work to South America - stretching the communications lines like that can be pretty tricky

ARTPUPPY · « **Reply #1 on:** December 03, 2012, 03:28 »

Quote from: jsnover on December 03, 2012, 01:30

I happened upon this write up from some Getty IT employees when I was looking for something else. Can't say I'm surprised to hear some negative comments. Interesting to hear that they're outsourcing some software work to South America - stretching the communications lines like that can be pretty tricky

That's very interesting. Type in istockphoto and you see some revealing details:
"Cons – Paralyzed into inactivity for fear of something going wrong. Entire teams told to stop doing any work leading up to the most recent sale of Getty Images (parent company) from H&F to Carlyle Group."
"Policy is set by parent company (getty) in Seattle. There is no option to create change or improvement short of being transferred down to the USA."
"After weeks and weeks of announcing that "nobody is getting laid off" they had a round of layoffs... and then a second round a couple months later."
"Management handled the integration with Getty Images very poorly and we lost a lot of domain knowledge as a direct result."
"Advice to Senior Management – You're amazing at not answering questions, but we're not fooled by double talk and it only serves to grow resentment with the employees."

ShadySue · « **Reply #2 on:** December 03, 2012, 04:41 »

Quote from: ARTPUPPY on December 03, 2012, 03:28

Quote from: jsnover on December 03, 2012, 01:30
I happened upon this write up from some Getty IT employees when I was looking for something else. Can't say I'm surprised to hear some negative comments. Interesting to hear that they're outsourcing some software work to South America - stretching the communications lines like that can be pretty tricky

That's very interesting. Type in istockphoto and you see some revealing details:
"Cons – Paralyzed into inactivity for fear of something going wrong. Entire teams told to stop doing any work leading up to the most recent sale of Getty Images (parent company) from H&F to Carlyle Group."
"Policy is set by parent company (getty) in Seattle. There is no option to create change or improvement short of being transferred down to the USA."
"After weeks and weeks of announcing that "nobody is getting laid off" they had a round of layoffs... and then a second round a couple months later."
"Management handled the integration with Getty Images very poorly and we lost a lot of domain knowledge as a direct result."
"Advice to Senior Management – You're amazing at not answering questions, but we're not fooled by double talk and it only serves to grow resentment with the employees."

Why does that not surprise me?

Thanks for the sleuthing, even if incidental, Jo Anne.

cobalt · « **Reply #3 on:** December 03, 2012, 07:59 »

Whow! Those reviews are unbelievably bad. Most of all they confirm the impression we have - that the management lacks vision and personal accountability.

Very frustrating to read that istock apparently saved them for a while and now istock is being brought down as well.

I´ve read reports from other companies in general and there is a much better spread of comments. In the beginning I thought glassdoor would be a place for people venting, but many companies have excellent reviews.

Very interesting website. And a good example how the internet can help to bring transparency.

"“Really enthused to start, but quickly realized the organization can not deliver on projects”
Former Employee in Seattle, WA – Reviewed Jul 9, 2011

Pros – everybody out the door by 5pm
very low pressure - 0 urgency to get anything done on time
great location and comfortable office
people and personalities are generally agreeable and entirely unremarkable
Cons – Management spends months talking about product roadmaps but not even the simplest projects get done. The site looks and works exactly the same as it did 4-5 years ago"

"Advice to Senior Management – Getty is simply a company in a tailspin that isn't making any material efforts to save themselves. They like to talk roadmaps and handout little books on management de jour, but when it comes time to get accountable, everybody disappears. if it wasn't for the acquisition of istockphoto and allowing that business to run unmolested, Getty would have packed it up awhile ago."

advise to any potential acquirers - PASS or gut that management from Director Level up.
"

ClaridgeJ · « **Reply #4 on:** December 03, 2012, 08:13 »

Quote from: cobalt on December 03, 2012, 07:59

Whow! Those reviews are unbelievably bad. Most of all they confirm the impression we have - that the management lacks vision and personal accountability.

Very frustrating to read that istock apparently saved them for a while and now istock is being brought down as well.

I´ve read reports from other companies in general and there is a much better spread of comments. In the beginning I thought glassdoor would be a place for people venting, but many companies have excellent reviews.

Very interesting website. And a good example how the internet can help to bring transparency.

"“Really enthused to start, but quickly realized the organization can not deliver on projects”
Former Employee in Seattle, WA – Reviewed Jul 9, 2011

Pros – everybody out the door by 5pm
very low pressure - 0 urgency to get anything done on time
great location and comfortable office
people and personalities are generally agreeable and entirely unremarkable
Cons – Management spends months talking about product roadmaps but not even the simplest projects get done. The site looks and works exactly the same as it did 4-5 years ago"

"Advice to Senior Management – Getty is simply a company in a tailspin that isn't making any material efforts to save themselves. They like to talk roadmaps and handout little books on management de jour, but when it comes time to get accountable, everybody disappears. if it wasn't for the acquisition of istockphoto and allowing that business to run unmolested, Getty would have packed it up awhile ago."

advise to any potential acquirers - PASS or gut that management from Director Level up.
"

Yeah. You would think other Trad-agencies would try and capitalize on the situation, realizing that now could be their big chance but a big fat NOPE!. Yhey are just as set sin concrete as the rest.
Getty Does sell though and sell well. I give them that.

ShadySue · « **Reply #5 on:** December 03, 2012, 08:26 »

Quote from: ARTPUPPY on December 03, 2012, 03:28

"Advice to Senior Management – You're amazing at not answering questions, but we're not fooled by double talk and it only serves to grow resentment with the employees."

That's iStock all over.

aspp · « **Reply #6 on:** December 03, 2012, 08:36 »

Gold star jsnover !

But this surely demands a thread of its own because I think that many people who would like to see this will miss it here. And the snippets which others here have already highlighted. Title could be something like "IS - Getty insiders speaking out ..."

gostwyck · « **Reply #7 on:** December 03, 2012, 11:28 »

Quote from: aspp on December 03, 2012, 08:36

Gold star jsnover !

But this surely demands a thread of its own because I think that many people who would like to see this will miss it here. And the snippets which others here have already highlighted. Title could be something like "IS - Getty insiders speaking out ..."

I'd agree entirely. Thanks for posting the link JoAnne.

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #8 on:** December 03, 2012, 11:37 »

I've asked Leaf to move this part of the thread to a new topic

lisafx · « **Reply #9 on:** December 03, 2012, 12:25 »

Great work JoAnn! This is really interesting to read. Explains a lot, and unfortunately confirms what most of us have suspected. Maybe the new owners will at least make some serious attempts to get things running again...

ShadySue · « **Reply #10 on:** December 03, 2012, 12:27 »

Also check out this from a buyer on the iStock discussion forum:
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=349485&page=1
(I have a copy of it in case it's Lobotomised)

WarrenPrice · « **Reply #11 on:** December 03, 2012, 12:45 »

Quote from: ShadySue on December 03, 2012, 12:27

Also check out this from a buyer on the iStock discussion forum:
http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=349485&page=1
(I have a copy of it in case it's Lobotomised)

Lobotomised ... Love it.

leaf · « **Reply #12 on:** December 03, 2012, 18:45 »

Quote from: jsnover on December 03, 2012, 11:37

I've asked Leaf to move this part of the thread to a new topic

done

tab62 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 03, 2012, 19:54 »

Here was the dream announcement from the good old days (A Marriage made in Heaven)-

http://www.istockphoto.com/article_view.php?ID=159

Then the dream fades away (A Divorce from Hell)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13580_3-10202154-39.html

time for Plan B $:-\$

stocker2011 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 03, 2012, 20:58 »

Plan B is we buy it out and set things right?

cmannphoto · « **Reply #15 on:** December 03, 2012, 21:05 »

Quote from: stocker2011 on December 03, 2012, 20:58

Plan B is we buy it out and set things right?

I was hoping to do that if I had won last weeks PowerBall lottery

tab62 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 03, 2012, 21:34 »

I had the first two numbers right on that ticket of dreams...

click_click · « **Reply #17 on:** December 03, 2012, 22:00 »

To sum it up:

- Contributors are mad
- Buyers are mad
- Employees are mad

So, what was the point again to deliberately run this business into the ground?

How can any human being with common sense in upper management believe that everything is alright?
How much do you have to believe in conspiracy theories to assume that some dark forces are having that much control so they can ruin this what was formerly known as the best place in the world to buy stock images?

EmberMike · « **Reply #18 on:** December 03, 2012, 22:32 »

Quote from: click_click on December 03, 2012, 22:00

...How can any human being with common sense in upper management believe that everything is alright?...

Very few people really believe it. People in high places just keep saying it loudly in an attempt to convince others to believe it.

luissantos84 · « **Reply #19 on:** December 03, 2012, 22:34 »

Quote from: click_click on December 03, 2012, 22:00

- Contributors are mad

no, we are fine!

BTW just got a sale for 4.5$ (16%) and iStock share was 23.62$

Equus · « **Reply #20 on:** December 03, 2012, 22:42 »

Quote from: luissantos84 on December 03, 2012, 22:34

Quote from: click_click on December 03, 2012, 22:00
- Contributors are mad

no, we are fine!

BTW just got a sale for 4.5$ (16%) and iStock share was 23.62$

Just think Luis, when PicturEngine launches, that will be all yours

Microstock Posts · « **Reply #21 on:** December 04, 2012, 05:40 »

I didn't find anything new in these reviews

. Haven't we read this on msg countless number of times.

Cons – The company is for sale and most teams and resources are focused on reducing operational costs to make the bottom line look better to potential buyers. Many long-time employees have been let go, entire teams are being outsourced. There is no longer any pride or upside to working at this company, the most talented people have already left and there is an ongoing exodus of the people that remain. This is a dead end career for all but the senior managers that own stock and stand to cash out...

Silberkorn · « **Reply #22 on:** December 04, 2012, 06:32 »

Thanks jsnover, very interesting read.

aspp · « **Reply #23 on:** December 04, 2012, 09:55 »

Missed this bit. Thanks for highlighting it:

Quote from: ARTPUPPY on December 03, 2012, 03:28

Type in istockphoto and you see some revealing details:

"Entire teams told to stop doing any work leading up to the most recent sale of Getty Images (parent company) from H&F to Carlyle Group."

"After weeks and weeks of announcing that "nobody is getting laid off" they had a round of layoffs... and then a second round a couple months later."

"Management handled the integration with Getty Images very poorly and we lost a lot of domain knowledge as a direct result."

Maybe why they now seem unable to fix is. And this:

Quote from: cobalt on December 03, 2012, 07:59

everybody out the door by 5pm
very low pressure - 0 urgency to get anything done on time

Jo Ann Snover · « **Reply #24 on:** December 06, 2012, 01:39 »

A new thread was started this evening about discussing search results (by best match) on iStock.

If you look at the example searches that were mentioned in the earlier thread - some one phrase, some searches refined with additional keywords - they work just as you'd expect on Shutterstock, and on Thinkstock (and probably DT, Google and many other places), but the IT person's explanation makes it sound as if they really don't understand why they're getting horrendously crappy results when they're supposedly continuing what they've been doing all along. They appear to be lost. The comment that buyers don't see this suggests the IT person didn't read the heartfelt post of a former buyer here.

I guess my take on the "search team's" comments are that they are busy defending what they've done and I don't see any acknowledgement that the end result is just broken at the moment. The operation was a success; the patient died... As long as they're taking the view that it's working and they just need to do a few tweaks, I'm not optimistic.

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Author Topic: Getty Employees Speak Out (Read 6147 times)

Jo Ann Snover

ARTPUPPY

ShadySue

cobalt

ClaridgeJ

ShadySue

aspp

gostwyck

Jo Ann Snover

lisafx

ShadySue

WarrenPrice

leaf

tab62

stocker2011

cmannphoto

tab62

click_click

EmberMike

luissantos84

Equus

Microstock Posts

Silberkorn

aspp

Jo Ann Snover

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