Human resources management has been named “Specialist Medium of the Year 2026” by the German trade press. The prize is one of the most important awards in the specialist media industry and honors media that, in the jury’s opinion, are convincing in terms of editorial quality, relevance, functionality and innovative strength.
In its justification, the jury emphasized that the human resources industry was convincing “with editorially strong, relevant content that is based on high journalistic standards”. The jury also praised the contemporary layout and the “excellent reader guidance and high level of orientation in the magazine.”
Further development into a cross-media product
The award is a special recognition for human resources management, especially because it recognizes two central strategic points: On the one hand, human resources management is being further developed as a cross-media product, no longer just as a classic magazine. Secondly, with the relaunch of the magazine in its 52nd year of existence, Human Resources has given itself a completely new coat of paint – with clearer reader guidance, consistent jumping-off points to online reporting, a new design and high-quality paper.
With precisely this overall product, human resources management would like to offer HR professionals practical orientation in challenging times. Human resources departments are working under time and transformation pressure, but at the same time the topics have become more complex: regulatory requirements, shortage of skilled workers, restructuring and staff cuts, new requirements for leadership and collaboration, and artificial intelligence.
This is exactly where the relaunch of human resources management began. The magazine’s orientation towards the relevant topics of the employee life cycle – i.e. from recruiting to further training and culture to compliance and compensation – offers readers orientation on the topics that are relevant to them: practical, clear and with the necessary depth and classification of content.
The award ceremony took place as part of the B2 Media Days
The award was presented on May 21, 2026 as part of the B2 Media Days, the flagship event of the German Trade Press Association. The evening event took place in the Berlin Kesselhaus. It was moderated by professional presenter Susanne Adele Schlüter, who has been hosting the event for many years.
A total of specialist media were recognized in eight categories, and the specialist journalists of the year were also honored. FAZ Business Media GmbH, to which HR Management belongs, was also twice as happy at the award ceremony: its sister magazine Finance made it onto the shortlist for podcast of the year with the podcast “Future Finance” by Esra Laubach.
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The jury’s laudation verbatim
“The human resources management of FAZ Business Media impresses editorially with strong, relevant content that is based on high journalistic standards. A clear leap in quality is visible, especially after the relaunch – especially in terms of design: contemporary layout, modern typography, fresh colors and clear imagery ensure excellent reader guidance and a high level of orientation in the magazine. The very high quality of the paper also underlines the premium demands placed on the magazine. Beyond the magazine, the human resources management has created a convincing product and brand world – with events, guides, tools and job market, which make the specialist medium the central platform for HR professionals.”
Catrin Behlau coordinates HR magazine production organizationally and thematically. Together with Rebecca Scheibel, she heads the HR media editorial team at FAZ Business Media. Her thematic focus is on the HR profession.
