This article originally appeared on Nielsen.com.
Across the industries we measure, we are relied upon as a source of truth. In the U.S., one inexorable truth is that the total population will be majority multicultural by 2044. And U.S. Hispanic consumers are driving much of this multicultural growth. That’s why, in order to help our clients grow in a multicultural market, we’re committed to actively fostering a workplace culture that grows and advances Hispanic associates.
Our efforts were recently recognized by the Hispanic Association for Corporate Responsibility (HACR) on its annual Corporate Inclusion Index (CII), which measures Hispanic inclusion in corporate America. The CII tracks companies’ policies and practices in a number of areas on a five-star scale. We received top five-star billing for our employment practices, which is a reflection of our commitment to the development of our Hispanic associates.
“Hispanic consumers are expanding their cultural influence on the American mainstream and are increasingly defining what it means to be American,” said Michael Alicea, Chief Human Resources Officer for Nielsen. “Nielsen’s mandate to the markets we serve is to help quantify these shifts, which means it is absolutely essential that we have associates in our ranks that are culturally capable of contextualizing the implications of changing demographics for our clients.”
While organizations like HACR help us understand how to shape our workplace policies to meet the needs of Hispanic associates, much of our understanding comes directly from our employees themselves. Our Hispanic Organization of Leaders in Action (HOLA) employee resource group leads a variety of initiatives that demonstrably increase associate engagement, improve workplace policies, and enrich the communities where we live and work. Just this year, HOLA associates were instrumental in the release of our 2019 Diverse Intelligence Series report on Latinx consumers, our support of numerous Hispanic community organizations including the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, and the celebration of numerous culturally important milestones including Hispanic Heritage Month. And our HOLA members are essential to our ability to retain and advance Hispanic leaders, which are key metrics on the HACR CII.
Hispanic leaders and associates are empowered to further our Diversity & Inclusion strategy by Nielsen’s leadership—which starts with David Kenny, our CEO and Chief Diversity Officer. In 2019, David has boldly lent his voice in support of a fair and accurate 2020 Census, preserving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and increasing Hispanic representation in our ranks by adding his signature to The Hispanic Promise.
“Because we measure everyone, we have a responsibility to ensure that our Diversity & Inclusion program extends to everything we do—from our people to our products,” said Jose Luis Guevara, SVP of Global Input Operations and HOLA Executive Sponsor. “The recognition from HACR is an important signifier that we’re on the right track. However, it’s even more important that we continue to double down on our Hispanic talent, so we continue growing.”
Pictured above: Sam Renovato, Sr. Manager, University Relations and Talent Acquisition, Nielsen, and Lorraine Carrasco, Director, External Affairs, Government Relations and Public Policy, Nielsen, accepted the HACR award on Nielsen’s behalf.
