Diversity & Inclusion

From tracking and trending representation, retention and developmental opportunities, to providing thought leadership and mentoring to diverse suppliers, Nielsen is committed to sharing the impact and importance of the population shifts we see around the globe. We also help our clients connect the dots between diversity, inclusion, innovation and superior results.

In 2016, we released our first annual Diversity & Inclusion Report, which provides a comprehensive look at the company’s investment in and commitment to global diversity. The report outlines our Diversity & Inclusion strategy and serves as a milemarker for the company’s accomplishments to date. Included is our Connect the Dots vision, which is built around connecting the dots between the population shifts and diverse consumer buying power. The strategy also helps clients use our data and insights to identify products and services that are more appealing to these consumers and garner consumer loyalty and higher profits. Inside Nielsen, the 2016 Diversity & Inclusion metrics showed that racial/ethnic and gender diversity both increased over 2015, and the rate of racial/ethnic and gender diversity in senior management outpaced the average for DiversityInc’s Top 50 companies.

Fortune magazine ranked Nielsen #50 on its Top 50 ranking for Best Workplaces for Diversity and also ranked us #58 on its Top 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials. The recognition is based on anonymous survey results provided by nearly 1,000 Nielsen associates.

Many initiatives have contributed to the company’s recognitions this year. For instance, the company’s Diverse Leadership Network (DLN) — an 18-month leadership development program designed to grow, mentor and challenge high-potential associates — had 100% of the program graduates in new roles within the company, with a 95% retention rate. In 2016, we launched a Sponsorship Program to provide cross-cultural matching with high-potential diverse employees and our senior-most leaders — including our CEO.

Further, to ensure the entire organization speaks the same language and understands that diversity and inclusion is a global business imperative for Nielsen, 93% of Nielsen’s people managers in 66 countries have received foundational Diversity & Inclusion training, led in partnership with a minority-owned diverse supplier. We also partnered with a women-owned diverse supplier to provide over 1,400 Unconscious Bias training sessions to teams across the globe.

Nielsen continues to release its Diverse Intelligence Series (DIS) reports, including annual reports on African-American, Asian-American and Hispanic consumers. Additionally, our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) authored and published a new report on people with disabilities (ADEPT ERG) and an expanded report on LGBTQ consumers (PRIDE ERG). These efforts have created a positive impact, not only by positioning Nielsen in the marketplace as a leader in understanding multicultural consumers, but also through the goodwill generated by our grassroots efforts to uplift and empower the communities we serve.

Since 2011, Nielsen has encouraged employees to join one of its seven ERGs — our resource groups focused on recruitment/retention, professional development, community outreach and education/engagement. In 2016, an eighth ERG launched in Greater China, N-GEN or Nielsen Generations. This group focuses on celebrating, engaging, sharing knowledge and information across generations (from the millennial to the greatest generation). We are particularly proud of the fact this ERG launched outside the U.S. as a testament to our global reach. In total, members contributed over 5,000 volunteer hours at more than 1,400 events, partnering with over 800 organizations.

In 2016, we launched our first Nielsen Global Inclusion Council (NGIC) comprised of global business leaders who champion our Diversity & Inclusion strategy and represent the needs of their unique markets/countries. The NGIC works alongside our Diversity & Inclusion team to promote diversity awareness, support the implementation of inclusion programs, and deliver on our commitment to build aninclusive work environment that is representative of the communities and clients we serve. The council meets twice year to brainstorm, strategize, review progress, and set stretch goals.

In an effort to increase employee engagement and retention, Nielsen hosted its first Black Employee Forum in Atlanta on August 31, 2016. Sponsored by Chief Financial Officer, Jamere Jackson and Chief Diversity Officer, Angela Talton, Nielsen created the Black Employee Forum to bring together more than 200 employees to focus on their careers, major changes happening in our industry, and realities of how Black Americans are positively shaping our company, culture, clients, and community. The event offered learning sessions, engagement with senior leaders, insights into Nielsen’s overall strategy, and the opportunity to build and grow professional networks. To continue the momentum, African-American leaders in the organization will continue to meet quarterly to connect on engagement strategies. The Black Employee Forum was a pilot and Nielsen seeks to learn from this program and host other Diverse Employee Forums in the future.