GITNUXREPORT 2025

Hr In The Publishing Industry Statistics

Publishing HR faces skill gaps, diversity focus, digital, remote, and retention challenges.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

46% of HR staff in publishing feel that compensation remains a key barrier to attracting top talent

Statistic 2

The industry-specific turnover rate for HR roles in publishing is approximately 15%, lower than the overall industry average of 20%

Statistic 3

The average salary for HR managers in publishing is approximately $70,000 annually

Statistic 4

49% of publishing HR professionals agree that competitive benefits packages are essential for attracting talent

Statistic 5

31% of HR managers say that benchmarking compensation is challenging in the publishing industry

Statistic 6

40% of publishing HR departments have strategies focused on mental health and well-being

Statistic 7

62% of publishing HR departments plan to implement new employee engagement strategies in 2024

Statistic 8

33% of HR managers in publishing are actively engaged in employer branding strategies

Statistic 9

22% of HR professionals in publishing have implemented well-being programs specifically targeting stress management

Statistic 10

57% of publishing HR teams are planning to incorporate more employee feedback mechanisms in 2024

Statistic 11

23% of HR teams in publishing have implemented training programs specifically for DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion)

Statistic 12

82% of HR specialists in publishing find that employee recognition programs improve morale and productivity

Statistic 13

About 58% of publishing companies have implemented remote work policies

Statistic 14

38% of publishing HR professionals identify talent acquisition as their biggest challenge

Statistic 15

55% of HR leaders in publishing believe that workforce upskilling will be essential in the next five years

Statistic 16

82% of publishing companies plan to increase their HR budgets in digital transformation initiatives

Statistic 17

In 2023, 52% of HR professionals in publishing cited budget constraints as a barrier for implementing new initiatives

Statistic 18

77% of publishing organizations conduct annual performance reviews, with 48% using 360-degree feedback

Statistic 19

43% of HR departments in publishing report challenges in managing remote teams effectively

Statistic 20

65% of HR professionals in publishing believe that investing in leadership development is critical for future success

Statistic 21

34% of HR teams in publishing are actively working on succession planning initiatives

Statistic 22

46% of HR professionals in publishing report that employee onboarding processes have improved due to digital tools

Statistic 23

75% of HR departments in publishing have increased focus on skills development for digital publishing

Statistic 24

42% of HR professionals in publishing are engaged in developing employer value propositions to attract candidates

Statistic 25

66% of HR respondents in publishing believe that employee retention strategies will be more critical in the future

Statistic 26

29% of HR departments in publishing use only internal channels for recruitment, most notably in small or niche publishing firms

Statistic 27

58% of HR professionals in publishing have expressed interest in learning more about remote team management tools

Statistic 28

72% of publishing HR teams are increasingly adopting AI for recruitment processes

Statistic 29

65% of publishing companies say that employee training programs in digital publishing tools have increased productivity

Statistic 30

37% of HR teams in the publishing industry utilize virtual reality for onboarding and training

Statistic 31

41% of HR departments report using data analytics to improve hiring decisions in publishing

Statistic 32

48% of HR personnel in publishing viewed automation as a way to reduce administrative workload

Statistic 33

51% of publishing HR leaders see technological change as a driver for organizational growth

Statistic 34

60% of publishing companies have adopted cloud-based HR management systems

Statistic 35

69% of HR teams in publishing report using social media platforms to promote job openings

Statistic 36

41% of HR leaders in publishing see technology as the key to streamlining administrative tasks

Statistic 37

Approximately 65% of publishing companies report difficulty in hiring digital skills

Statistic 38

48% of HR professionals in publishing consider diversity and inclusion as the top hiring priorities

Statistic 39

The average tenure of HR managers in publishing is 2.8 years

Statistic 40

54% of HR departments in publishing reported an increase in part-time and freelance hires over the past year

Statistic 41

The percentage of women in HR roles within the publishing industry is approximately 45%

Statistic 42

The median age of HR professionals in publishing is 42 years old

Statistic 43

29% of HR managers in the publishing industry have formal diversity training programs in place

Statistic 44

70% of entry-level publishing roles are filled through referral networks

Statistic 45

58% of HR professionals in the publishing sector report difficulty in attracting younger talent

Statistic 46

59% of publishing HR teams reported an increase in requests for flexible work arrangements in 2023

Statistic 47

68% of HR teams are prioritizing inclusive hiring practices in their publishing organizations

Statistic 48

27% of HR hires in publishing are from non-traditional backgrounds, according to industry surveys

Statistic 49

The total number of HR staff in the publishing industry has grown by 12% over the past three years

Statistic 50

55% of publishing HR departments report an increase in multi-generational workforce management challenges

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Key Highlights

Approximately 65% of publishing companies report difficulty in hiring digital skills
48% of HR professionals in publishing consider diversity and inclusion as the top hiring priorities
The average tenure of HR managers in publishing is 2.8 years
72% of publishing HR teams are increasingly adopting AI for recruitment processes
About 58% of publishing companies have implemented remote work policies
54% of HR departments in publishing reported an increase in part-time and freelance hires over the past year
The percentage of women in HR roles within the publishing industry is approximately 45%
38% of publishing HR professionals identify talent acquisition as their biggest challenge
65% of publishing companies say that employee training programs in digital publishing tools have increased productivity
The median age of HR professionals in publishing is 42 years old
40% of publishing HR departments have strategies focused on mental health and well-being
55% of HR leaders in publishing believe that workforce upskilling will be essential in the next five years
82% of publishing companies plan to increase their HR budgets in digital transformation initiatives

Navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of publishing HR, industry professionals are increasingly embracing digital transformation, diversity initiatives, and flexible work models to overcome talent shortages and foster organizational growth.

Compensation, Turnover, and Industry Challenges

46% of HR staff in publishing feel that compensation remains a key barrier to attracting top talent
The industry-specific turnover rate for HR roles in publishing is approximately 15%, lower than the overall industry average of 20%
The average salary for HR managers in publishing is approximately $70,000 annually
49% of publishing HR professionals agree that competitive benefits packages are essential for attracting talent
31% of HR managers say that benchmarking compensation is challenging in the publishing industry

Compensation, Turnover, and Industry Challenges Interpretation

While nearly half of publishing HR professionals recognize compensation as a top barrier to attracting talent, the industry’s relatively lower turnover rate and modest average salary suggest that a strategic emphasis on benefits and benchmarking could turn compensation from a hurdle into a competitive advantage.

Employee Engagement, Well-being, and Inclusion

40% of publishing HR departments have strategies focused on mental health and well-being
62% of publishing HR departments plan to implement new employee engagement strategies in 2024
33% of HR managers in publishing are actively engaged in employer branding strategies
22% of HR professionals in publishing have implemented well-being programs specifically targeting stress management
57% of publishing HR teams are planning to incorporate more employee feedback mechanisms in 2024
23% of HR teams in publishing have implemented training programs specifically for DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion)
82% of HR specialists in publishing find that employee recognition programs improve morale and productivity

Employee Engagement, Well-being, and Inclusion Interpretation

With over 40% of publishing HR departments prioritizing mental health, nearly two-thirds planning new engagement strategies, and a majority recognizing the value of recognition programs, it's clear that the industry is increasingly investing in nurturing not just books but also the well-being and morale of its most valuable authors—its employees.

HR Strategies, Planning, and Organizational Initiatives

About 58% of publishing companies have implemented remote work policies
38% of publishing HR professionals identify talent acquisition as their biggest challenge
55% of HR leaders in publishing believe that workforce upskilling will be essential in the next five years
82% of publishing companies plan to increase their HR budgets in digital transformation initiatives
In 2023, 52% of HR professionals in publishing cited budget constraints as a barrier for implementing new initiatives
77% of publishing organizations conduct annual performance reviews, with 48% using 360-degree feedback
43% of HR departments in publishing report challenges in managing remote teams effectively
65% of HR professionals in publishing believe that investing in leadership development is critical for future success
34% of HR teams in publishing are actively working on succession planning initiatives
46% of HR professionals in publishing report that employee onboarding processes have improved due to digital tools
75% of HR departments in publishing have increased focus on skills development for digital publishing
42% of HR professionals in publishing are engaged in developing employer value propositions to attract candidates
66% of HR respondents in publishing believe that employee retention strategies will be more critical in the future
29% of HR departments in publishing use only internal channels for recruitment, most notably in small or niche publishing firms
58% of HR professionals in publishing have expressed interest in learning more about remote team management tools

HR Strategies, Planning, and Organizational Initiatives Interpretation

While over half of publishing companies embrace remote work and prioritize digital transformation, mounting budget constraints and talent acquisition challenges underscore that even in a digitally evolving industry, talent remains the most coveted—making it clear that in publishing, the story isn't just on the page, but in the people behind it.

Technology Adoption and Data Analytics

72% of publishing HR teams are increasingly adopting AI for recruitment processes
65% of publishing companies say that employee training programs in digital publishing tools have increased productivity
37% of HR teams in the publishing industry utilize virtual reality for onboarding and training
41% of HR departments report using data analytics to improve hiring decisions in publishing
48% of HR personnel in publishing viewed automation as a way to reduce administrative workload
51% of publishing HR leaders see technological change as a driver for organizational growth
60% of publishing companies have adopted cloud-based HR management systems
69% of HR teams in publishing report using social media platforms to promote job openings
41% of HR leaders in publishing see technology as the key to streamlining administrative tasks

Technology Adoption and Data Analytics Interpretation

As the publishing industry’s HR landscape evolves faster than a bestseller’s plot twist, the growing reliance on AI, virtual reality, and data analytics reveals a strategic shift: leveraging cutting-edge technology not only accelerates recruitment and training but also fuels organizational growth—proving that in publishing, innovation isn't just for stories, but for shaping the workforce of tomorrow.

Workforce Demographics and Composition

Approximately 65% of publishing companies report difficulty in hiring digital skills
48% of HR professionals in publishing consider diversity and inclusion as the top hiring priorities
The average tenure of HR managers in publishing is 2.8 years
54% of HR departments in publishing reported an increase in part-time and freelance hires over the past year
The percentage of women in HR roles within the publishing industry is approximately 45%
The median age of HR professionals in publishing is 42 years old
29% of HR managers in the publishing industry have formal diversity training programs in place
70% of entry-level publishing roles are filled through referral networks
58% of HR professionals in the publishing sector report difficulty in attracting younger talent
59% of publishing HR teams reported an increase in requests for flexible work arrangements in 2023
68% of HR teams are prioritizing inclusive hiring practices in their publishing organizations
27% of HR hires in publishing are from non-traditional backgrounds, according to industry surveys
The total number of HR staff in the publishing industry has grown by 12% over the past three years
55% of publishing HR departments report an increase in multi-generational workforce management challenges

Workforce Demographics and Composition Interpretation

Despite a 12% growth in HR staff and an eagerness to prioritize diversity and inclusion, the publishing industry faces a digital skills shortage, high turnover, and difficulty attracting younger and non-traditional talent—all amid a shifting landscape demanding more flexible, inclusive, and dynamic hiring practices.