Don't let the job description fool you! - Survey Writer Nielsen Employee Review

1.0
Feb 28, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The pay is ok and the job is simple. A typical work day consists of watching assigned television show (or shows), tracking product placements, and writing questions based on the show's content. You do, however, have to follow a methodology in writing the questions but after a while it gets easy.

Cons

1) Managers and editors talk down to the Survey Writers - they make rude and inappropriate comments 2) In training, as well as in the job description, you are told that the latest you will work is up to 2am....I had to stay once until 5am because of the lack of coverage (very large turnover rate) 3) This is not a part-time position....working 36-39 hrs almost every week is very close to full-time (and you don't receive benefits so what's the point of staying!) 4) You have to rely on the assigned editor to your show to approve your show questions before you can leave to go home or start your next show. 5) Different feedback on methodology and miscommunication among editors and managers - this can cause an even GREATER delay. You may be used to writing a certain way according to a rule one editor told you but then another editor will tell you that your writing incorrectly. As a result, you have to go back and rewrite the question which could set you back 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Explore other reviews about Nielsen

5.0
Apr 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Was a great job with great benefits

Cons

No cons at all honestly

1.0
Apr 16, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Absolutley nothing. Which is a tragedy, because Nielsen was once an absolutely great place to work. I wanted to retire here. The culture used to be great, and I really loved being a part of this place. I loved my team, my management, and the people. Then along came the current CEO who is the classic example of a person who knows the cost of everything, but the value of nothing. He took over and ran the company full speed ahead in to the iceberg. And to try and save the sinking ship, he laid off literally thousands of highly experienced, highly trained, and highly engaged people to replace them with fresh overseas hires who know nothing about the company and expect them to be trained from the ground up to replace literally centuries of collective expererience and client relations. It's a disaster. This CEO shouldn't be trusted to run a lemonade stand.

Cons

Everything. Pay, job security, culture, management. Nothing is good here anymore. Don't take a job here unless you are truly desperate. And even then, it should only be as a stop-gap until you can find something else.

5
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