Readership Institute: People Management Practices

People management practices are, in a nutshell, how managers reward, discipline, train and motivate employees. They have long been recognized as having a direct impact on business outcomes, so the Readership Institute believed they must also have an impact on readership. However, the newspaper industry has never before examined its own practices or evaluated how effective they are.

The survey measured how newspapers rate on specific methods of selection, development, performance management and compensation, four areas known to be linked with business outcomes, and, importantly, also linked to an organization's internal culture.

The study focused on understanding the extent to which newspapers engage in specific best practices that we believe to be most strongly associated with high levels of readership and other key performance outcomes in the industry. The study surveyed employees in the departments most directly related to readership — news, advertising, circulation, and marketing.

The results were surprising in their uniformity across the industry and in the low ratings on each of the four people management practices areas.

The State of People Management Practices at Newspapers
Read the results of the Readership Institute's study of people management practices at U.S. daily newspapers.

High Impact Management Practices
Learn what top companies do in four key people management areas: selection, development, performance management, and compensation.

Newspaper Staffing, Diversity, and Turnover - PDF

The Business Case for People Management Practices - PDF

People Management Practices: Consolidated Report - PDF
Download the complete report on our study of people management practices at newspapers.

People Management Practices: PowerPoint Presentation - PowerPoint

People Management Practices Self Survey
Launch an interactive online questionnaire designed to rate your newspaper's people management practices.