← HR Metrics·Workforce Composition
Span of Control
Average number of direct reports per manager
How it’s computed
COUNT(reports) / COUNT(managers)
What the evidence shows
Evidence (effect sizes, priors, validity) is syncing from Principia.
Run it on your data
This metric is computed in the People Analytics Toolbox on your own numbers. See pricing — posted, no quotes.
sources: toolbox:metrics-catalog · principia:metrics
What the literature says
The measurement literature behind this signal — sourced, so you can defend it.
“One should go back to the design criteria for the organization and ask, “Where does this leader need to spend his or her time to bring these capabilities to life?” Options for Direct Report Structures Let’s look at three sets of alternatives that are common models for direct…”
— Leading Organization Designmatch 54%
“Span of Control Span of control is the inverse partner to organization layers. As the number of layers goes up, the average number of direct reports to managers goes down, and vice versa. Excess layers of hierarchy tend to result in narrower jobs with less freedom to act. As…”
— Leading Organization Designmatch 53%
“For the denominator, he used the 2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics average American worker annualized pay of $36,100. For the numerator, he used the pay of CEOs of very large companies. For the company with the highest sales rank, the differential was 525; for the company with the…”
— Compensation Benefit Designmatch 52%
Resources: Leading Organization Design · Compensation Benefit Design