Check out Part 2 in the employee communication podcast series. 

We’re all busy with work, family and just living life. Employees, managers and HR are looking for ways to squeeze more hours, minutes and just things into the day. I think I’ve found the answer through podcasting.

Podcasting As an Employee Communication Platform

Podcasting is my new absolute love. On the Workology Podcast it is a quick 25-35 minutes to record an episode. I’m nearly 50 episodes in. I create my talking points and questions in advance. It makes me feel more prepared and less off the cuff so I can focus on building a rapport with my podcast guest. Sometimes my guests are people that I have never met. Someone put me in touch with them to interview and I want to focus on the being the most comfortable and best guest they can be while also recording a podcast that my audience wants to tune in and be listening.

And listen a growing number of us do. We listen to audiobooks, music and podcasts during our work commutes, at the gym and our evening walks. These are “dead times” so to speak where we as well as your employee population isn’t in front of their computers and are maybe doing things that are physical and are free time where we are not glued in front of a screen or our phones. It’s not so easy to walk and text on our phones. Podcasting allows your employees as well as you to increase your productivity while also communicating with a candidate or employee. You can access a list of HR and recruiting related podcasts by clicking here.

I first began using audio in high school when I had to memorize the declaration of independence for a class. I began recording the words I needed to memorize and playing them back while I sleep. I used this method all through college for what I called memorization and regurgitation. This method is the reason I passed my PHR as well as my SPHR without a formal class or training.

Pictured above you see a study from New York University where students were asked not attend class but listen to a podcast of the lecture. The information retained was 15% better than those who attended class. This is the reason I use podcasting for learning and communication. The message is the same as the blog post, white paper or video I’ve written or shot on the topic. It’s the channel that’s different. Audio holds our attention in a way that video and the written or even spoken word do not and I see that as a real employee engagement and workplace communication opportunity.

Podcasting to Engage Your Job Seeker

Companies like Marriott are also using podcasting as a way to engage potential job seekers who are looking for resources and information about an organization. Recently, they kicked off their new podcast for job seekers called “The Wandernaut Show.” Available on SoundCloud or iTunes, each episode is just 7 minutes long. The first episodes are discussing why Marriott is a company of choice and how an employee Millenial mindset of their employee population aligns with the larger organization and the core values of the company.

Check out Part 2 in the employee communication podcast series.