Podcasting and employee engagement - the new match made in heaven?

I think's fair to say that employee engagement remains the most elusive challenge facing the majority of the businesses out there right now, especially in the current climate.

Candidates are now looking for an experience from their employer, more than a career, and then factor in at least 20% (a recent study from Deloitte) of employees are "disengaged", the impacts and costs of not doing engagement well will result in an ever-increasing spiral.

How can we change this? Everyone is aware of the usual engagement strategies. The Friday Pizza parties/the quarterly town halls for all employees/the monthly awards/the end of year party. All these are great and serve a purpose, 100% they do. That said, I would like to introduce a new addition to your engagement toolbox, you may want to sit down for this...drumroll, please...PODCASTS!!

Umm, say again? I'm pretty sure that you haven't had to pick yourself up from the floor, let's be fair, the title of the article kinda gives it away, but let's start to unpack this a little more.

How can podcasts help with employee engagement? Even as I write this, I'm still a little caught off guard by the statement. Yes, I could send the next 15mins writing about the costs of low or poor employee engagement, there is a time a place for that, this, though, is not it. What I would rather do is make some suggestions on how creating your own podcast, aimed at your employees, can and will improve employee engagement. Even if it's just one of the below suggestions that makes you see the benefits, then my job here is done. Okay, so, here we go. I would say strap yourself in for a wide ride, but we know that won't be the case! Have a look and, please, see if any of the below suggestions make sense for you and your company.

Using the power of podcasting, you can now get into the ears of all your employees. You can set up weekly town halls and get instant feedback from your front-line staff. You can have internal and external guests appear and speak to your team. How powerful is that? You never know, your own sales guru may even become a podcast sensation!!

The options are endless with the power of podcasting when it comes to employee engagement. As well as business-focused episodes, what is stopping you from creating wellness episodes that provide practical hints and tips on how to take care of your mental health. You can start up a book club for everyone to listen to, you can record motivational messages to your staff.

Zoom fatigue, it’s a “thing”, right?!! Instead of using Zoom, you can use podcasts to get your message out there. Your audience has the flexibility of listening to your message at a time that suits them, whether they are at the gym, on the way to work, or just at home. The list really is endless

Audio is fast becoming the way that people interact and gather information. While videos serve a purpose, not everyone has the time or access to a screen. With podcasts, your staff can simply tune in and get the latest company updates at their leisure. How’s that for an engaged workforce?

Deloitte’s report on Human Capital Trends shows that over 60% of candidates rank employee engagement as one of (if not the) most impact deciding factor for staying at a company.

You can create a series of recruitment or hiring podcasts that help convey your company messages to potential new hires. The podcasts may include such things as the latest company news, latest vacancies, and, more importantly, the values of the company along with current community projects that you are involved in. Candidates are not looking for a career today, they are looking for an experience that they can share.

Companies who focus on and cultivate high-end employee engagement typically see higher retention, far better customer service, and an improved long-term profitability

If any of the above ideas (even if it's just one) intrigue you, and you can see the benefits of using the power of podcasting to create your very own key podcast of influence aimed at improving employee engagement, then please get in touch and we can have a chat. Thank you for your time in reading this article, it really does mean the world to me!