As part of Nielsen’s commitment to diversity, we value the nationwide relationships we’ve cultivated at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). On the campuses of the Atlanta University Center (a group of four HBCUs in Atlanta), an annual case study competition has helped us showcase for students how we use data and insights to provide our clients with solutions to some of marketers’ biggest challenges, as well as a day in the life of a Nielsen employee. In our second annual competition, four ladies from Spelman College (an all-female HBCU) took home first place.

While the Nielsen AUC recruiting team has gained momentum over the last few years, the team decided host its first case study competition in 2015 to encourage sharp students to consider Nielsen for internships and full-time positions. During this year’s event, student teams used Nielsen data to make a decision about whether a fictitious international food manufacturing company should begin to market and sell its products in the U.S. Student teams also had the opportunity to network with the Nielsen panel of judges, Rick Kassing, client director, Andrew McCaskill, senior vice president, global communications & multicultural marketing, and Jaceta Decuir, client manager.

“Nielsen is an academy employer particularly for students and recent graduates of color, and programs like our AUC recruiting efforts help promote the Nielsen experience to students who may not be as familiar with our brand,” said McCaskill. “Because of Nielsen’s reputation for being an award-winning workplace for Millennials, women and diverse associates and because the AUC and HBCUs in general boast some of the best and brightest talent in the world, the program is mutually beneficial for students and for Nielsen.”

The AUC recruiting team serves as an initial touchpoint with Nielsen for students at these schools as they begin their careers. In partnership with the university recruitment efforts by Nielsen’s talent acquisition team, the AUC team performs various on-site recruiting activities, including interviews, informational sessions and workshops designed to inform students of the various opportunities available to them at the company. The case study competition allows students to interact directly with Nielsen data and senior leaders, which helps them gain a deeper understanding of our measurement capabilities and see Nielsen as an option as they start to look at professional destinations.

Thanks in large part to Nielsen’s African-American employee resource group, SABLE (sustaining active Black leadership and empowerment), the AUC recruiting team has continued to thrive and increase its presence on HBCU campuses. SABLE has a strong presence in Nielsen’s Atlanta office, and the AUC recruiting team has leveraged SABLE’s generous support to assist in interviewing, event activation and other recruiting projects. The collaboration of Atlanta SABLE members has also allowed our recruiting team to expand their recruiting efforts to a wider range of recruiting events like Morehouse College’s Marketing Conclave, an annual networking and skills development conference for undergraduate students. The partnership between ERG and university recruiting exemplifies Nielsen’s collaborative values and shows students all over the country how committed Nielsen is to promoting diversity and inclusion.

“At Nielsen, diversity and inclusion is not measured by whether we meet quotas,” said Angela Talton, Chief Diversity Officer and AUC recruiting champion. “Our goal is to infuse diversity and inclusion into the DNA of the company. By spending time on campus, sharing Nielsen data and insights, creating engaging interactions such as the case competition, we hope potential candidates will get a glimpse of our inclusive work environment and want to learn more. We succeed when these talented diverse students see Nielsen as an attractive option as they take the first step in their careers.”   

Pictured above: 2016 AUC Case Study Competition winning team from Spelman College.