19 January 2024 - 4 min read
Podcasts have become part of some people’s everyday routines, having grown immensely in popularity in recent years, especially following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, since people had more time on their hands to discover new interesting podcasts to listen to.
Podcasts are basically audio or video shows posted online, usually in the form of a series of episodes. Coined by a BBC journalist back in 2004, the term ‘podcast’ is a portmanteau of ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcast’, but podcasts are not just restricted to iPod users. They can be downloaded from the Internet and listened to on any device that can store and play media files. When podcasts were first introduced to the world they were quite amateurish on the whole. Now, they are much more sophisticated, with many major broadcasters and news outlets producing their very own podcasts online.
Podcasts are ideal for keeping up to date with industry news and discussions, for seeing what topics your peers are interested in and discussing, as well as helping listeners gain a fresh perspective on everything HR related, work and the wider world of business. And since you can download them on the device of your choice, you can do all of this while on the go.
With that in mind, we have compiled a list of the top six podcasts we think you, as an HR or L&D professional, might like to tune into.
The concept for this podcast was simple. To share effective tips and tools, from L&D professionals, across the training community in order to help listeners become more effective L&D professionals themselves. John Tomlinson, the podcast presenter, interviews experienced L&D professionals, discussing topics of interest to people working in the organisational learning field, while giving them tips and advice based on their own experiences.
Top Five Mistakes by a Learning and Development Professional, is a great episode for L&D professionals struggling to adapt training in the virtual world following the outbreak of he Covid-19 pandemic. Hosted by Caroline Black, a specialist in leadership development and communication skills, in this episode she provides listeners with tips on how to facilitate learning and development sessions online based on her own previous experiences, and even mistakes.
The CIPD has what it calls ‘the podcast hot seat’, enabling HR movers and shakers to share their thoughts, views and experiences. The latest podcast (number 188) featured on the website is Can we make a 4-day week work?, and we highly recommend that you give it a listen. The episode discusses the possibility of 4-day working weeks becoming the new norm as employees seek improved work-life balance, along with the benefits and dangers this may impose to businesses. Other podcasts streamed out this year include ‘What values does HR bring to today’s organisation?’ and ‘What do you do with broken trust?’.
The GoodPractice podcast is a must-listen-to for anyone working in the L&D and HR industry. Running weekly, the show presenters (with the occasional special guest) dive into topics such as learning needs analysis, evidence-based practice and the impact of technology on work.
We recommend listening to episode 307 of the podcast, Is your learning culture keeping pace with rapid digitalisation?, which dives into this year’s L&D Benchmark Report. Following the global pandemic, organisations around the world were forced to adapt their working nature through adopting digital technologies, which in turn created both opportunities and challenges for L&D professionals.
Being one of the longest running and most downloaded podcasts on all things HR related, it’s a no brainer why we’re suggesting the HR Happy Hour podcast. Hosted by Steve Boese, Co-Chair of the HR Technology Conference, and Trish McFarlane, an HR Executive, the podcast features a range of shows focusing on Human Resources, management, leadership and workplace technology.
A highly recommended episode of the podcast for company HR Managers is Addressing Burnout: Connecting Work, Life and Self-Care, which looks at employee burnout and how HR professionals can put an end to it.
While many HR podcasts focus on the operational aspects of the industry, the Emotion @ Work podcast takes on a different approach by delving into human emotions, with discussions specifically focusing on emotions in the workplace. Phil Wilcox regularly interviews HR professionals on this podcast, who provide insight to how emotions can affect our work lives. Emotion regulation, digital body language and the imposter phenomenon are only some of the topics discussed in the show.
Episode 50, Emotion at Work in the Imposter Phenomenon, is a must-listen from this podcast. With Imposter Syndrome currently becoming more and more common amongst employees, this episode allows listeners to reflect on questions such as “where does that comparison come from?”, in order to unfold the reasons behind why they are questioning their capabilities and worth within the workplace.
#WorkTrends is an HR podcast and Twitter chat, providing listeners with HR-related news to keep them up-to-date, while also featuring interviews with HR experts, HR tech vendors and HR practitioners about their motivations and what inspires them, gauging into the life of an HR professional.
We recommend that you listen to their How Women Can Uplevel Their Power in the Workplace episode. Targeted more towards women in the workplace, this episode explores how women can lean into their power and potential, while making suggestions to business leaders about how to support women in the workplace and foster a more inclusive environment.
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14 September 2017 - 4 min read
Career Hub
