Why diversity matters
“Diversity, equity and inclusion are essential to everything we do at Nielsen. When we operate in a culture that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, innovation flourishes, our clients win, and employees are engaged and collaborate to bring the best that Nielsen can offer to the communities we measure.
At the end of the day, fostering diversity, equity and inclusion isn’t just a good thing to do—it’s crucial to the success of our business and all business.”
David Kenny, CEO
How we’re doing it
At Nielsen, we focus on systematically integrating inclusion and accountability into the full employee experience through four focus areas: people, products and thought leadership, supplier diversity and community outreach.
People
We work closely with Human Resources to ensure diverse, equitable and inclusive retention and recruiting. Our retention efforts include promoting key areas: an inclusive culture and policies, career opportunities and professional development for all associates, mentorship and sponsorship, and our Global BRGs. Our recruiting efforts include talent attraction, diverse candidate slates and manager anti-bias workshops.
Products & thought leadership
Nielsen panels are the core of our business, so ensuring a diverse representative panel ensures that our media measurement accurately represents the population. We work with Panel Relations to maintain and recruit diverse Nielsen panelists. We also share our expertise about diverse communities through our Diverse Intelligence Series and invest in inclusive measurement and products.
Supplier diversity
Our team works closely with Nielsen’s Procurement organization and Corporate Supplier Diversity program, which are committed to increasing our company’s use of services and products provided by certified diverse-owned businesses. We define a certified spend goal with diverse suppliers and mentor diverse suppliers. We also team up with our client business partners to discuss client goals for diverse spend.
Community outreach
Our team promotes DE&I in our local communities and works with organizations like the Advertising Research Foundation and GLAAD. We also provide pro bono data and consulting through our Data for Good program and the Nielsen Foundation. To support small businesses, which are the backbone of so many diverse communities, we provide resources, including pro bono consulting, via our Small Business Resources website.
To stay on top of issues that matter to our industry and clients, we work with an external advisory council of marketers and media professionals. They provide diverse perspectives on our various strategies. We also work to influence pro-business and pro-talent policies (like amicus briefs and diversity pledges), and promote representation through census and voting campaigns.
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Our Global Non-Discrimination Policy
Nielsen is committed to reflecting the diversity of the clients, communities and markets we measure within our own workforce. We exist to count everyone and we embed inclusion and diversity into all aspects of our workforce, measurement and products.
We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action-Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, marital status, protected veteran status or any other protected class. Our global non-discrimination policy covers these protected classes in every market in which we do business worldwide.
Learn more about how we are embedding diversity, equity and inclusion in everything we do by visiting the Nielsen News Center.
Business resource groups
Our BRG Program is an inclusive, global program with more than 7,000 active members that network across all business areas and geographies to work on our diversity, equity and inclusion goals. These BRG members grow an inclusive culture at Nielsen, drive business growth and innovation through DE&I, increase BRG participation at all levels, and enable associates to be themselves to reach their full potential.
Scroll over the map to see the BRG programs in each location
Diverse Intelligence series
Our Diverse Intelligence Series is an annual collection of insights, based on the latest consumer trends from our multiple measurement verticals spanning from retail to entertainment. What started seven years ago as a series dedicated to multicultural consumers (African American, Asian American and Hispanic), today has expanded to include current trends among veterans, LGBT+ and disabled consumers.
We have three External Advisory Councils (EACs), comprising business and community leaders as well as industry experts, that represent the African-American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian Pacific-American communities. The councils share their views on how Nielsen can better recruit, represent and reflect the unique purchasing and viewing habits of the multicultural communities in the U.S. We also have long-standing relationships with other community organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN) and HeroZona. These groups are part of the collaboration efforts of our Diverse Intelligence Series Reports.
The reports are circulated internally to our clients and also externally with the help of our U.S.-based Strategic Community Alliances and Consumer Engagement team who manages our community outreach. The reports’ content is also used in advertising campaigns and event sponsorships.
Awards and recognition
- Nielsen was named No. 16 on the 2019 DiversityInc Top 50, a prestigious list that ranks public and private companies on their commitment to workplace diversity. In addition, we were named to two speciality lists: recruitment and LGBT+ employees. In 2017, we were placed at No. 32 on the list, No. 41 in 2016, No. 42 in 2015 and No. 50 in 2014.
- Nielsen earned a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) and was recognized as a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality” for the 6th consecutive year in 2019.
- We also earned recognition for LGBT+ equality in Mexico in 2018, an equivalent honor to the HRC recognition in the U.S., for the second straight year.
- We were named the Top LGBT+ Supporting Employer in Poland by NatWest in the 2018 Polish Business Awards.
- We were ranked #2 in Forbes’ 10 Best Employers for Diversity in 2019.
- We were named the Top Company for Women and Diverse Managers on the Diversity MBA 50 Out Front list in 2018. In 2017, we placed No. 9; in 2016, we placed No. 4; in 2015, we placed No. 5; in 2014, we placed No. 18; and in 2013, we placed No. 22.
- After several years of securing a score of 90%, we earned our first-ever top 100% score on the Disability Equality Index in 2019. Nielsen earned “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion” by the Disability:IN (formerly the United States Business Leadership Network) and a 90% rating on the Disability Equality Index for the third consecutive year.
- Fortune and Great Places to Work named Nielsen as one of the best workplaces for diversity in 2017. We were also named to three additional Fortune lists: Top Workplaces in New York, Top Workplaces in Chicago and Top Companies for Consulting and Professional Services.
- We were ranked 19th in the 2018 Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List, a definitive list of UK based organizations that promote inclusion across all protected characteristics, throughout each level of employment within an organization.
- We were named one of the 100 Best Companies for Women in India in 2018 for the third consecutive year by The Working Mother Research Institute and AVTAR.
- Named the No. 7 Best Place to Work in Turkey by Great Places to Work in 2018.
- Nielsen Colombia Named the # 21 Best Company for Gender Equality by PAR in 2018.
- Inducted into the first annual Advancing Diversity Honors Hall of Fame at Consumer Electronics Show 2018.
- Named a Top Company for African Americans and for Supplier Diversity in 2018 by Black EOE Journal.
- Named a 2018 “Top Disability-Friendly Company” by Diverseability Magazine.
- Named a Top Company for Asian Americans by Asia Society in 2018.
- We were recognized as a Minority Business News Top 101 Corporation for Supplier Diversity.
- We were named to the Women’s Enterprise Top 100 Companies for Women Business Enterprises (Supplier Diversity).
- The National Organization on Disability (NOD) named Nielsen to its list of 45 organizations that have been selected to receive the 2017 NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal.