How can a company podcast help your team?

Growing in popularity, company podcasts, also known as internal podcasts, are making waves and changing the status quo for a wide variety of teams. Employed by world-leading brands like Lululemon, these high quality productions are for your people only — just as the name suggests — and, when applied correctly, pack benefits that will positively impact not only your business but the experience of everyone on your team.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the benefits an effective company podcast can pack for the folks at your company.

Increase engagement

How many times have you let an internal email sink to the bottom of your inbox — or go unread entirely? Perhaps you too are suffering from Zoom meeting fatigue? Let’s be real. These common methods of communication are not breeding ideal results when it comes to engagement — something most companies fall short on these days. So short, in fact, that one Gallup report states that 85% of the global workforce are either “not actively engaged” or “actively disengaged” at their jobs today.

In a time of disco nection and workplace dissatisfaction, a company podcast provides a unique opportunity to build engagement among your team members in a way that (yet another) email or meeting will probably fall short on.

The difference lies largely in their delivery. If your business runs like most, there’s a good chance your team members spend a significant portion of their day hopping in and out of meetings or working their way through long-winded emails. So — why contribute to existing overflow when you can take another route entirely? A company podcast allows you to diversify their days, while revitalizing engagement and disseminating valuable information to even the fastest growing teams.

Perhaps this sounds too good to be true. You might be asking if folks really tune in to, or stick around for, podcast episodes made by their companies. Let’s take a look at Lululemon, shall we? This world-renowned brand has a 95% listen-through rate on their internal podcast, Leadership Series — which, for the record, happens to be produced by the JAR Audio team.

Build connections and humanity

Podcasts are uniquely human in a way that most internal communication is not — an invaluable asset when no one wants to feel like a cog in a machine.

Unfortunately, especially since the onset of COVID-19, many team members are feeling less than ideal about life at their companies. In fact, recent Workhuman research revealed that 42% of employees are feeling lonely, stressed and isolated during the pandemic — vibes most of us would prefer to avoid within our companies.

The good news is that the company podcast is a format that offers endless opportunity for intimacy, humor, emotion, and humanity. Say goodbye to formal, cold, and overly polished company emails and hello to a medium that encourages emotion, individualism, and connection among your team.

This new method of communication will allow you to build community, bolster relationships, and foster retention that will benefit your company and everyone on your team.

Reduce screen time

Let’s face it — screen time has been an issue for at least a decade, and has only gotten worse thanks to recent changes in our society. In fact, both adults and children have experienced a screen time increase since the outbreak of COVID-19 and Canadians are now reporting up to 11 hours of screen time daily. Yikes.

Given the fact that these habits are linked to impaired mental and physical health, surely this is something we should aspire to limit for the folks on our teams. The company podcast invites your team members to go for a walk, get a coffee, or simply step away from their computer — all while engaging in a meaningful way with the value, mission, and purpose of your company.

Ready to employ a company podcast to benefit your team?

For a company podcast to be effective, it will have to be well thought out and expertly produced. A great series includes handpicked guests, exceptional storytelling, phenomenal audio, and cohesive, engaging, and powerful themes.

Sound intimidating? No worries. If you’re ready to employ an internal podcast to better the experience of everyone on your team, you can reach out to JAR Audio. We’d be more than happy to discuss your specific needs.

Written by Roger Nairn, JarAudio.com