At Nielsen, we understand the value of giving back. While we have created several programs to foster responsibility and sustainability in our business and the communities we serve, our people power these programs. From Nielsen Cares, our global volunteer program, to the Nielsen Foundation, which increases our employees’ impact when they give back to our communities—we encourage employees to identify and lead projects that are important to them and align with our strategy.
This past August, Jake Comito, an associate within our Program Pemimpin Muda, recognized a community that needed help after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston and lead to widespread flooding. Working with Nielsen Cares, Jake banded together with fellow employees to make an impact.
In the beginning of December, Jake and 16 other Emerging Leader Associates traveled to Houston and worked with All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response to muck, gut and sanitize homes that were broken-down by the storms. During the two-week trip, the group logged 571.5 volunteer hours and supported six families affected by the hurricane.
As the project’s lead, Jake thoroughly researched groups working directly with people in need, secured funding, coordinated logistics and partnered with the appropriate internal departments. Through volunteer and community engagement, All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response aims to help families recover faster after natural disasters using our “smart response” strategy. All Hands and Hearts focuses on connecting to communities, being open among employees and volunteers, and prioritizing all stakeholders’ needs.
Di lokasi di Houston, All Hands and Hearts mengajarkan karyawan Nielsen cara membuat dampak sebesar mungkin sejak mereka tiba hingga saat mereka terbang kembali ke rumah. Para sukarelawan bertransformasi menjadi spesialis sanitasi setiap hari, bekerja untuk memberikan dampak yang digambarkan oleh para pemilik rumah sebagai "tidak dapat dipercaya", "tidak terpikirkan", dan "benar-benar istimewa".
These accomplishments highlight the power of just one employee to make profound impact at Nielsen, but they also reflect the support of the larger Nielsen community. Jake’s idea was encouraged by his peers, his Emerging Leaders Program manager, and the Global Responsibility and Sustainability team. With their guidance, he was able to see this project from start to finish.
"Kami mengandalkan semangat para karyawan kami, dan kami bergantung pada keterampilan dan keahlian mereka yang unik untuk mewujudkan hal-hal besar di Nielsen dan di luar sana. Kepemimpinan Jake dalam proyek ini merupakan bukti dari semangat tersebut," kata Crystal Barnes, SVP Global Responsibility and Sustainability di Nielsen dan Direktur Eksekutif Nielsen Foundation.
Proyek ini juga menyatukan seluruh komunitas Nielsen, baik secara langsung maupun virtual. Karyawan dari berbagai kantor yang tidak mengerjakan proyek yang sama berkesempatan untuk bekerja bersama. Jordan Tite, seorang Emerging Leader Associate di San Francisco, mencatat, "[Proyek ini] sangat memperkaya karena kami dapat bertemu dan bekerja dengan orang-orang dari berbagai latar belakang, namun semuanya terhubung melalui tujuan yang sama untuk membantu orang lain yang membutuhkan." Dan di luar kelompok sukarelawan, para rekanan Nielsen mengikuti foto dan video kelompok tersebut melalui jaringan media sosial internal Nielsen.
Bersamaan dengan komitmen sukarela ini, Nielsen Foundation juga mengumumkan bahwa mereka akan memberikan hibah sebesar $40.000 untuk upaya bantuan bencana di Houston dan di seluruh dunia melalui tiga organisasi, termasuk All Hands and Hearts. Selain itu, Nielsen Foundation menyamai hampir $10.000 yang dikumpulkan oleh para karyawan selama minggu Giving Tuesday.
